Forging a New World Order? Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Management of Metalworking and Ideological Change in the Late Bronze Age Carpathian Basin

Forging a New World Order? Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Management of Metalworking and Ideological Change in the Late Bronze Age Carpathian Basin

The Carpathian Basin was a highly influential centre of metalworking in the 2nd mil. BC. Nevertheless, despite the abundance of metal objects from the Late Bronze Age, the scarcity of contextually associated metalworking remains representing distinct phases of the metalworking cycle from this region...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of archaeological method and theory Vol. 30; no. 2; pp. 565 - 610
Main Authors: Orfanou, V., Amicone, S., Sava, V., O’Neill, B., Brown, L. E. F., Bruyère, C., Molloy, B. P. C.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Springer US 01-06-2023
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
13th century
Anthropology
Archaeology
Bronze Age
Ceramics
Contextual analysis
Contextual effects
Fragments
Handicrafts
Ideology
Interdisciplinary aspects
Metals
Political change
Pottery
Scarcity
Social Sciences
Social structure
Visibility
World order
Carpathian Basin
Technical ceramics
Experimental archaeology
Late Bronze Age
Crucible metallurgy
Carpathian Basin
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Summary:The Carpathian Basin was a highly influential centre of metalworking in the 2nd mil. BC. Nevertheless, despite the abundance of metal objects from the Late Bronze Age, the scarcity of contextually associated metalworking remains representing distinct phases of the metalworking cycle from this region is striking. Here, we explore Late Bronze Age metalworking through the lens of a uniquely complete metalworking assemblage from the site of Șagu from contexts spanning the sixteenth to early thirteenth century BC. This material provides insights into changes in craft organisation following socio-political change after the collapse of Middle Bronze Age tell-centred communities. Our approach combines analytical and experimental data together with contextual analysis of technical ceramics (crucible, mould, and furnace fragments) to reconstruct the metalworking chaîne opératoire and place Șagu in its broader cultural context. Analyses demonstrate clear technological choices in ceramic paste recipes and strong interlinkages between metallurgy and other crafts practised on site, from domestic pottery production to building structures. Experimental replications reveal important intrinsic and experiential aspects of metallurgical activities at Șagu. Evidence on the spatial organisation of metallurgical workflows (routine sequence of actions and decisions) suggests they incorporated a high degree of visibility, which marks a distinct change in the use of craft space compared to the context of densely occupied Middle Bronze Age tells nearby. Combined, our archaeometric, experimental, and contextual results illustrate how changes in metalworking activities in the Late Bronze Age Carpathian Basin were deeply embedded in an ideological shift in the aftermath of the breakdown of Middle Bronze Age tells and the emergence of new social structures.
ISSN:1072-5369
1573-7764
DOI:10.1007/s10816-022-09566-6