Cross-Craft Interactions in the Central European Bronze Age

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Archaeometric data obtained for various raw materials used by Central European communities in the Bronze Age (ca. 2300-800 BC) allow us to study technological interactions in the past realized mostly within usually small and densely settled sites. In this study, cross-craft contact zones between the selected activities are crucial. They are likely to reflect the social space of communication concerning the objects to be manufactured. For instance, the development of metallurgy required plenty of clay casting molds produced with the use of potting techniques. Were they manufactured according to traditional recipes and technological choices or did they have to meet some other, specific standards? How did the high temperatures used in metallurgy influence the quality of household pottery at the same sites? Why do we have so little evidence of the use of metal tools on Bronze Age bone and antler objects although they are more effective in processing animal hard tissues? How did the quality of bone tools affect their use in pottery making? My main objective is, therefore, to provide a comprehensive and coherent interpretative model of communication and knowledge transfer in various types of activities, both specialized and domestic.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38069.0