EAA2021: Abstract
Abstract is part of session #16:
Title & Content
Title:
A wealth from Crucible and Anvil – Iron Age spatial socio-economy as seen through multimetal craftsmanship and metal use
Content:
The project ‘From the Crucible and at the Anvil’ was started in 2015 with the goal of examining the socio-economic implications of metalworking in Iron Age Scandinavia, focused on the spatiality, economic remits and technological repertoires of metal use. The
connection between economy and metal use is central to the project. Within one case study, metalworking sites have been analysed from a macro-level landscape perspective covering the
wider south-east Scandinavian region throughout the Iron Age (500BCE-1100CE).
In this paper, results from the case study are presented and evaluated. The macro-spatial patterns of metal craftsmanship are used to infer the role of metal use in the overarching economic climate.. Employing a data-set from both contract-archaeology and inventory projects in southern Sweden, quantitative approaches and spatial statistics have been both necessary and fruitful. Using a macro-level approach, the site-information analysed was reduced, with spatial location, primary metal use and coarse chronology forming key attributes.
This method differs significantly from the more high-resolution qualitative approaches normally favoured when countering questions concerning the societal implications of metal use. What are the benefits and limitations of these approaches? And how can these
methods be integrated in economic analyses of the Iron Age?
A qualitative landscape analysis of a sub-region of the study area forms the basis of another case study within the project. The focus here has been to elucidate the spatiality of commodity-chains of metal use, and contrast those patterns to the general Iron
Age landscape. Comparing the two case studies provides the opportunity to gauge the use of both sets of approaches, highlighting pros and cons. Arguments for utilizing an inclusive
toolbox with regards to method and theory when interpreting the economic landscapes of the past will in this way be advanced in the paper.
connection between economy and metal use is central to the project. Within one case study, metalworking sites have been analysed from a macro-level landscape perspective covering the
wider south-east Scandinavian region throughout the Iron Age (500BCE-1100CE).
In this paper, results from the case study are presented and evaluated. The macro-spatial patterns of metal craftsmanship are used to infer the role of metal use in the overarching economic climate.. Employing a data-set from both contract-archaeology and inventory projects in southern Sweden, quantitative approaches and spatial statistics have been both necessary and fruitful. Using a macro-level approach, the site-information analysed was reduced, with spatial location, primary metal use and coarse chronology forming key attributes.
This method differs significantly from the more high-resolution qualitative approaches normally favoured when countering questions concerning the societal implications of metal use. What are the benefits and limitations of these approaches? And how can these
methods be integrated in economic analyses of the Iron Age?
A qualitative landscape analysis of a sub-region of the study area forms the basis of another case study within the project. The focus here has been to elucidate the spatiality of commodity-chains of metal use, and contrast those patterns to the general Iron
Age landscape. Comparing the two case studies provides the opportunity to gauge the use of both sets of approaches, highlighting pros and cons. Arguments for utilizing an inclusive
toolbox with regards to method and theory when interpreting the economic landscapes of the past will in this way be advanced in the paper.
Keywords:
Multimetality, Spatial statistics, Socio-economy, Commodity-chains
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authors
Main authors:
Andreas Svensson1
Co-author:
Affiliations:
1 Dept. of Archaeology and Ancient history, Lund University