MATERIAL FOUNDATIONS OF PREINDUSTRIAL CIVILIZATION IN THE BALKANS.

The article discusses the material foundations of preindustrial civilization in the Balkans. The Balkans were among the most technologically advanced parts of the world until 1400 A.D., at which point the region stifled innovation by organizing production on the basis of preexisting values that reinforced existing traditions. This insistence upon tradition caused the Balkans to lag behind western Europe during the technological boom of the 1800s. The paper examines the values that fostered a slow technological accomplishment and prevented innovation.