At the annual meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in
Esslingen, Germany, 19th-23rd September, 2001, there will be a session
considering the way in which metal was understod and valued by past
societies. The session abstract follows:
Perceiving Metals
The study of prehistoric metals and metalwork, both archaeological
and metallurgical has tended to focus on production and deposition.
Production has been followed from mining through smelting to the
manufacture of artefacts, with often an emphasis on provenance and
trade. Meanwhile, consideration of deposition has addressed rather
broad issues of context with an emphasis on ritual and symbolic aspects
of the process. This session is designed to explore some rather more
fundamental aspects of metal in prehistoric societies based on notions
of how metal was perceived and valued. For example, how much was metal
seen as having an intrinsic value so that quantity could be used as a
measure of wealth and how much was value added by conversion to more
of less elaborate artefacts, in terms of their appearance and finish,
and in terms of their functionality. Where prestige products have
obviously high inputs of labour and skill, for example the sheet bronze
shields and cauldrons of Britain how was their manufacture commissioned
and sponsored? Where the fabrication of artefact required specialist
supplies that were outside the normal supply chain by what transactions
were they acquired? When metal was being deposited what condition was
the artefact in, and was the metal at that stage seen as having a value?
We wish to encourage speculation and new ideas on these themes.
We believe that by pursuing them the contributions of archaeology and
metallurgy to the understanding of ancient metalwork will become better
integrated, and that a much fuller understanding of the place of metal
of the place of metal in ancient societies and economies will be
achieved.
Dr Peter Northover Dorothee Bruns
Materials Science-Based Archaeology Group, M.Phil. Rsearch Student
Dept. of Materials, University of Oxford St Cross
College, Oxford
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If any list members are thinking of attending the meeting and would
like to confribute to the session plases send a short abstract to
either of the organisers.
Yours,
Dr Peter Northover
-------------------
Dr Peter Northover,
Materials Science-Based Archaeology Group,
Dept. of Materials, University of Oxford,
Begbroke Business and Science Park,
Sandy Lane,
Yarnton,
Oxford, OX5 1PF
Tel. 01865 283721; Fax. 01865 841943; Mobile 07785 501745
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