One of the most well known crafts practiced by Roma is that of a blacksmith. They probably acquired this skill in Armenia as many of the Romani terms which refer to this craft derive from the Armenian language. One of the main reasons why Roma were enslaved in the Romanian principalities was because they were skilled workers.
During the 500 years of slavery other crafts were also developed. Until today Romanian Roma categorize themselves according to which profession they ancestors practiced. Many Roma family names such as Gabor (smith) and Ciurar (sieve maker) refer to professions. Other professions which are typically linked to Roma are training bears (ursari), searching for gold in the rivers (aurari), or spoon making (linguran).
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