The Social Context of Technology explores non-ferrous metalworking in
Britain and Ireland during the Bronze and Iron Ages (c. 2500 BC to 1st
century AD). Bronze-working dominates the evidence, though the crafting
of other non-ferrous metals - including gold, silver, tin and lead - is
also considered. Metalwork has long played a central role in accounts of
European later prehistory. Metals were important for making functional
tools, and elaborate decorated objects that were symbols of prestige.
Metalwork could be treated in special or ritualised ways, by being
accumulated in large hoards or placed in rivers or bogs. But who made
these objects? Prehistoric smiths have been portrayed by some as prosaic
technicians, and by others as mystical figures akin to magicians. They
have been seen both as independent, travelling 'entrepreneurs', and as
the dependents of elite patrons. Hitherto, these competing models have
not been tested through a comprehensive assessment of the archaeological
evidence for metalworking.
This volume fills that gap, with analysis focused on metalworking tools
and waste, such as crucibles, moulds, casting debris and smithing
implements. The find contexts of these objects are examined, both to
identify places where metalworking occurred, and to investigate the
cultural practices behind the deposition of metalworking debris.
The key questions are: what was the social context of this craft, and
what was its ideological significance? How did this vary regionally and
change over time? As well as elucidating a key aspect of later
prehistoric life in Britain and Ireland, this important examination by
leading scholars contributes to broader debates on material culture and
the social role of craft.
