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Book ChapterDOI

The bronze age

01 Jan 1955-pp 50-61
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the Bronze Age in the UK and present evidence of the occupation in South Buckinghamshire during the Middle and the late phases of the Bronze age are more plentiful and indicate occupation of the Wye valley in the neighbourhood of High Wycombe.
Abstract: Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the Bronze Age. In about 1800 B.C, England was again invaded in successive waves by a powerful people known to archaeologists as the Beaker folk. The newcomers, in contrast to their predecessors buried their dead severally; sometimes, in flat graves but more often under the large mounds of earth many of which still stud the countryside. Although, the Beaker folk in Britain did not produce bronze and their culture constituted a transitional phase, it is with these people that the dawn of the Bronze Age in this country is associated. All these early people appear to have coalesced and settled down to a long and relatively peaceful period of development. Cremation became the fashionable mode of burial, and a native bronze industry, characterized by a developed form of axe known as a palstave, with rapiers and looped spearheads, came into being. Later, more invaders arrived and are recognized by their collective cremation cemeteries or Urnfields, and further bronze refinements such as the leaf-shaped sword and socketed axe. Evidence of the occupation in South Buckinghamshire during the Middle and the late phases of the Bronze Age are more plentiful and indicate occupation of the Wye valley in the neighbourhood of High Wycombe.
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the origins of metallurgy in the Old World and offer us a new model in which metheurgy began in c. eleventh/ninth millennium BC in Southwest Asia due to a desire to adorn the human body in life and death using colourful ores and naturally-occurring metals.
Abstract: The authors reconsider the origins of metallurgy in the Old World and offer us a new model in which metallurgy began in c. eleventh/ninth millennium BC in Southwest Asia due to a desire to adorn the human body in life and death using colourful ores and naturally-occurring metals. In the early sixth millennium BC the techniques of smelting were developed to produce lead, copper, copper alloys and eventually silver. The authors come down firmly on the side of single invention, seeing the subsequent cultural transmission of the technology as led by groups of metalworkers following in the wake of exotic objects in metal.

142 citations


Cites background from "The bronze age"

  • ...Gordon Childe (Childe 1930), but it did involve the movement of metalworkers, perhaps in broader social groups, who were able to access the necessary resources....

    [...]

  • ...The transmission of this metallurgical expertise did not simply involve the intrepid wanderings and migrations of independent metalsmiths as influentially envisaged by the great prehistorian V. Gordon Childe (Childe 1930), but it did involve the movement of metalworkers, perhaps in broader social groups, who were able to access the necessary resources....

    [...]

  • ...…simply involve the intrepid wanderings and migrations of independent metalsmiths as influentially envisaged by the great prehistorian V. Gordon Childe (Childe 1930), but it did involve the movement of metalworkers, perhaps in broader social groups, who were able to access the necessary resources....

    [...]

Book
01 Jan 1998
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide a comprehensive description and scientific evaluation of underwater archaeological finds referring to human occupation of the continental shelf around the coastlines of Europe and the Mediterranean when sea levels were lower than present.
Abstract: Britain BeginsStories of Ireland's PastIrelandLandscape Archaeology in IrelandThe early prehistory in the west of Ireland: Investigations into the social archaeology of the Mesolithic, west of the Shannon, IrelandBurials and Society in Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age IrelandThe Prehistory of Britain and IrelandIreland's Ancient EastThe Archaeology of Mediterranean PrehistoryHistorical Archaeology of the Irish DiasporaThe Prehistoric Archaeology of IrelandIrish Cave ArchaeologyIreland in PrehistoryThe Archaeology of Prehistoric Burnt Mounds in IrelandEnvironmental Archaeology in IrelandThe Prehistory of Britain and IrelandPrehistoric Archaeology of IrelandPrehistory Without BordersRock Art and the Prehistory of Atlantic EuropeSettlement in the Irish NeolithicPast PerceptionsThe Bronze Age Burials of IrelandThe Origins of the IrishThe Archaeology of Caves in IrelandThe Archaeology of IrelandThe Archaeology of Europe's Drowned LandscapesA History of Settlement in IrelandPersonifying PrehistoryPrehistoric MaterialitiesIreland's First SettlersA New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and early IrelandIn Search of Ancient IrelandThe Archaeology of DarknessThe Archaeology of Celtic Britain and IrelandThe Neolithic of Britain and IrelandArchaeological Excavations in Moneen Cave, the Burren, Co. ClareThe Origins of the IrishThe Prehistory of Britain and IrelandIverniIreland in Prehistory Ireland’s First Settlers tells the story of the archaeology and history of the first continuous phase of Ireland’s human settlement. It combines centuries of search and speculation about human antiquity in Ireland with a review of what is known today about the Irish Mesolithic. This is, in part, provided in the context of the author’s 50 years of personal experience searching to make sense of what initially appeared to be little more than a collection of beach rolled and battered flint tools. The story is embedded in how the island of Ireland, its position, distinct landscape and ecology impacted on when and how Ireland was colonized. It also explores how these first settlers evolved their technologies and lifeways to suit the narrow range of abundant resources that were available. The volume concludes with discussions on how the landscape should be searched for the often ephemeral traces of these early settlers and how sites should be excavated. It asks what we really know about the thoughts and life of the people themselves and what happened to them as farming began to be introduced.This open access volume provides for the first time a comprehensive description and scientific evaluation of underwater archaeological finds referring to human occupation of the continental shelf around the coastlines of Europe and the Mediterranean when sea levels were lower than present. These are the largest body of underwater finds worldwide, amounting to over 2500 find spots, ranging from individual stone tools to underwater villages with unique conditions of preservation. The material reviewed here ranges in date from the Lower Palaeolithic period to the Bronze Age and covers 20 countries bordering all the major marine basins from the Atlantic coasts of Ireland and Norway to the Black Sea, and from the western Baltic to the eastern Mediterranean. The finds from each country are presented in their archaeological context, with information on the history of discovery, conditions of preservation and visibility, their relationship to regional changes in sea-level and coastal geomorphology, and the institutional arrangements for their investigation and protection. Editorial introductions summarise the findings from each of the major marine basins. There is also a final section with extensive discussion of the historical background and the legal and regulatory frameworks that inform the management of the underwater cultural heritage and collaboration between offshore industries, archaeologists and government agencies. The volume is based on the work of COST Action TD0902 SPLASHCOS, a multi-disciplinary and multi-national research network supported by the EU-funded COST organisation (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). The primary readership is research and professional archaeologists, marine and Quaternary scientists, culturalheritage managers, commercial and governmental organisations, policy makers, and all those with an interest in the sea floor of the continental shelf and the human impact of changes in climate, sea-level and coastal geomorphology.Along the Atlantic seaboard, from Scotland to Spain, are numerous rock carvings made four to five thousand years ago, whose interpretation poses a major challenge to the archaeologist. In the first fulllength treatment of the subject, based largely on new fieldwork, Richard Bradley argues that these carvings should be interpreted as a series of symbolic messages that are shared between monuments, artefacts and natural places in the landscape. He discusses the cultural setting of the rock carvings and the ways in which they can be interpreted in relation to ancient land use, the creation of ritual monuments and the burial of the dead. Integrating this fascinating yet little-known material into the mainstream of prehistoric studies, Richard Bradley demonstrates that these carvings played a fundamental role in the organization of the prehistoric landscape.A History of Settlement in Ireland provides a stimulating and thought-provoking overview of the settlement history of Ireland from prehistory to the present day. Particular attention is paid to the issues of settlement change and distribution within the contexts of: * environment * demography * culture. The collection goes further by setting the agenda for future research in this rapidly expanding area of academic interest. This volume will be essential reading for all those with an interest in the archaeology, history and social geography of Ireland.This volume focuses on the analysis of materials, from the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods of Britain and Ireland, in the study of prehistoric artefacts. Challenging the assumption that materials are inert and shaped by past societies, it argues that it is rather the materials which shaped the societies.Sited at the furthest limits of the Neolithic revolution and standing at the confluence of the two great sea routes of prehistory, Britain and Ireland are distinct from continental Europe for much of the prehistoric sequence. In this landmark 2007 study the first significant survey of the archaeology of Britain and Ireland for twenty years Richard Bradley offers an interpretation of the unique archaeological record of these islands based on a wealth of current and largely unpublished data. Bradley surveys the entire archaeological sequence over a 4,000 year period, from the adoption of agriculture in the Neolithic period to the discovery of Britain and Ireland by travellers from the Mediterranean during the later pre-Roman Iron Age. Significantly, this is the first modern account to treat Britain and Ireland on equal terms, offering a detailed interpretation of the prehistory of both islands.The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland provides a synthesis of this dynamic period of prehistory from the end of the Mesolithic through to the early Beaker period. Drawing on new excavations and the application of new scientific approaches to data from this period, this book considers both life and death in the Neolithic. It offers a clear and concise introduction to this period but with an emphasis on the wider and on-going research questions. It is an important text for students new to the study of this period of prehistory as well as acting as a reference for students and scholars already researching this area. The book begins by considering the Mesolithic prelude, specifically the millennium prior to the start of the Neolithic in

130 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore how a political economy approach may help understand the European Bronze Age by focussing on regional comparative advantages in long-distance trade and resulting bottlenecks in commodity flows.
Abstract: In the second millennium cal BC, a new metal conquered Europe: the alloy of copper and tin that improved the quality of tools and weapons. This development, we argue, initiated a framework for a new political economy. We explore how a political economy approach may help understand the European Bronze Age by focussing on regional comparative advantages in long-distance trade and resulting bottlenecks in commodity flows. Links existed in commodity chains, where obligated labour and ownership of resources helped mobilize surpluses, thus creating potential for social segments to control the production and flows of critical goods. The political economy of Bronze Age Europe would thus represent a transformation in how would-be leaders mobilized resources to support their political ends. The long-distance trade in metals and other commodities created a shift from local group ownership towards increasingly individual strategies to obtain wealth from macro-regional trade. We construct our argument to make ...

103 citations


Cites background from "The bronze age"

  • ...According to Childe (1930), metal production was the first crucial step towards permanent division of labour and a market economy....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The largest Early Bronze Age (c. 3600-2000 BC) metal manufactory in the ancient Near East was found in southern Jordan as mentioned in this paper. But it was not used for metal production.
Abstract: Recent excavations in southern Jordan have revealed the largest Early Bronze Age (c. 3600-2000 BC) metal manufactory in the ancient Near East. On-site Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses of the finds provide new evidence concerning the scale and organization of metal production at a time when the first cities emerged in this part of the Near East. Materials and lead isotope analyses of the metallurgical finds provide important data for reconstructing ancient metal processing and for identifying trade networks.

100 citations

Book
01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: From earliest human society to the Holy Roman Empire, from Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the millennium, Chris Harman provides a brilliant and comprehensive history of the planet as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: From earliest human society to the Holy Roman Empire, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the millennium, Chris Harman provides a brilliant and comprehensive history of the planet.Eschewing the standard histories of "Great Men," of dates and kings, Harman offers a groundbreaking counter-history, a breathtaking sweep across the centuries in the tradition of "history from below." In a fiery narrative, he shows how ordinary men and women were involved in creating and changing society and how conflict between classes was often at the core of these changes.While many pundits see the victory of capitalism as now safely secured, Harman explains the rise and fall of societies and civilizations throughout the ages and demonstrates that history never ends. This magisterial study is essential reading for anyone interested in how society has changed and developed and the possibilities for further radical change in the new millennium

89 citations

References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the origins of metallurgy in the Old World and offer us a new model in which metheurgy began in c. eleventh/ninth millennium BC in Southwest Asia due to a desire to adorn the human body in life and death using colourful ores and naturally-occurring metals.
Abstract: The authors reconsider the origins of metallurgy in the Old World and offer us a new model in which metallurgy began in c. eleventh/ninth millennium BC in Southwest Asia due to a desire to adorn the human body in life and death using colourful ores and naturally-occurring metals. In the early sixth millennium BC the techniques of smelting were developed to produce lead, copper, copper alloys and eventually silver. The authors come down firmly on the side of single invention, seeing the subsequent cultural transmission of the technology as led by groups of metalworkers following in the wake of exotic objects in metal.

142 citations

Book
01 Jan 1998
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide a comprehensive description and scientific evaluation of underwater archaeological finds referring to human occupation of the continental shelf around the coastlines of Europe and the Mediterranean when sea levels were lower than present.
Abstract: Britain BeginsStories of Ireland's PastIrelandLandscape Archaeology in IrelandThe early prehistory in the west of Ireland: Investigations into the social archaeology of the Mesolithic, west of the Shannon, IrelandBurials and Society in Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age IrelandThe Prehistory of Britain and IrelandIreland's Ancient EastThe Archaeology of Mediterranean PrehistoryHistorical Archaeology of the Irish DiasporaThe Prehistoric Archaeology of IrelandIrish Cave ArchaeologyIreland in PrehistoryThe Archaeology of Prehistoric Burnt Mounds in IrelandEnvironmental Archaeology in IrelandThe Prehistory of Britain and IrelandPrehistoric Archaeology of IrelandPrehistory Without BordersRock Art and the Prehistory of Atlantic EuropeSettlement in the Irish NeolithicPast PerceptionsThe Bronze Age Burials of IrelandThe Origins of the IrishThe Archaeology of Caves in IrelandThe Archaeology of IrelandThe Archaeology of Europe's Drowned LandscapesA History of Settlement in IrelandPersonifying PrehistoryPrehistoric MaterialitiesIreland's First SettlersA New History of Ireland: Prehistoric and early IrelandIn Search of Ancient IrelandThe Archaeology of DarknessThe Archaeology of Celtic Britain and IrelandThe Neolithic of Britain and IrelandArchaeological Excavations in Moneen Cave, the Burren, Co. ClareThe Origins of the IrishThe Prehistory of Britain and IrelandIverniIreland in Prehistory Ireland’s First Settlers tells the story of the archaeology and history of the first continuous phase of Ireland’s human settlement. It combines centuries of search and speculation about human antiquity in Ireland with a review of what is known today about the Irish Mesolithic. This is, in part, provided in the context of the author’s 50 years of personal experience searching to make sense of what initially appeared to be little more than a collection of beach rolled and battered flint tools. The story is embedded in how the island of Ireland, its position, distinct landscape and ecology impacted on when and how Ireland was colonized. It also explores how these first settlers evolved their technologies and lifeways to suit the narrow range of abundant resources that were available. The volume concludes with discussions on how the landscape should be searched for the often ephemeral traces of these early settlers and how sites should be excavated. It asks what we really know about the thoughts and life of the people themselves and what happened to them as farming began to be introduced.This open access volume provides for the first time a comprehensive description and scientific evaluation of underwater archaeological finds referring to human occupation of the continental shelf around the coastlines of Europe and the Mediterranean when sea levels were lower than present. These are the largest body of underwater finds worldwide, amounting to over 2500 find spots, ranging from individual stone tools to underwater villages with unique conditions of preservation. The material reviewed here ranges in date from the Lower Palaeolithic period to the Bronze Age and covers 20 countries bordering all the major marine basins from the Atlantic coasts of Ireland and Norway to the Black Sea, and from the western Baltic to the eastern Mediterranean. The finds from each country are presented in their archaeological context, with information on the history of discovery, conditions of preservation and visibility, their relationship to regional changes in sea-level and coastal geomorphology, and the institutional arrangements for their investigation and protection. Editorial introductions summarise the findings from each of the major marine basins. There is also a final section with extensive discussion of the historical background and the legal and regulatory frameworks that inform the management of the underwater cultural heritage and collaboration between offshore industries, archaeologists and government agencies. The volume is based on the work of COST Action TD0902 SPLASHCOS, a multi-disciplinary and multi-national research network supported by the EU-funded COST organisation (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). The primary readership is research and professional archaeologists, marine and Quaternary scientists, culturalheritage managers, commercial and governmental organisations, policy makers, and all those with an interest in the sea floor of the continental shelf and the human impact of changes in climate, sea-level and coastal geomorphology.Along the Atlantic seaboard, from Scotland to Spain, are numerous rock carvings made four to five thousand years ago, whose interpretation poses a major challenge to the archaeologist. In the first fulllength treatment of the subject, based largely on new fieldwork, Richard Bradley argues that these carvings should be interpreted as a series of symbolic messages that are shared between monuments, artefacts and natural places in the landscape. He discusses the cultural setting of the rock carvings and the ways in which they can be interpreted in relation to ancient land use, the creation of ritual monuments and the burial of the dead. Integrating this fascinating yet little-known material into the mainstream of prehistoric studies, Richard Bradley demonstrates that these carvings played a fundamental role in the organization of the prehistoric landscape.A History of Settlement in Ireland provides a stimulating and thought-provoking overview of the settlement history of Ireland from prehistory to the present day. Particular attention is paid to the issues of settlement change and distribution within the contexts of: * environment * demography * culture. The collection goes further by setting the agenda for future research in this rapidly expanding area of academic interest. This volume will be essential reading for all those with an interest in the archaeology, history and social geography of Ireland.This volume focuses on the analysis of materials, from the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age periods of Britain and Ireland, in the study of prehistoric artefacts. Challenging the assumption that materials are inert and shaped by past societies, it argues that it is rather the materials which shaped the societies.Sited at the furthest limits of the Neolithic revolution and standing at the confluence of the two great sea routes of prehistory, Britain and Ireland are distinct from continental Europe for much of the prehistoric sequence. In this landmark 2007 study the first significant survey of the archaeology of Britain and Ireland for twenty years Richard Bradley offers an interpretation of the unique archaeological record of these islands based on a wealth of current and largely unpublished data. Bradley surveys the entire archaeological sequence over a 4,000 year period, from the adoption of agriculture in the Neolithic period to the discovery of Britain and Ireland by travellers from the Mediterranean during the later pre-Roman Iron Age. Significantly, this is the first modern account to treat Britain and Ireland on equal terms, offering a detailed interpretation of the prehistory of both islands.The Neolithic of Britain and Ireland provides a synthesis of this dynamic period of prehistory from the end of the Mesolithic through to the early Beaker period. Drawing on new excavations and the application of new scientific approaches to data from this period, this book considers both life and death in the Neolithic. It offers a clear and concise introduction to this period but with an emphasis on the wider and on-going research questions. It is an important text for students new to the study of this period of prehistory as well as acting as a reference for students and scholars already researching this area. The book begins by considering the Mesolithic prelude, specifically the millennium prior to the start of the Neolithic in

130 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore how a political economy approach may help understand the European Bronze Age by focussing on regional comparative advantages in long-distance trade and resulting bottlenecks in commodity flows.
Abstract: In the second millennium cal BC, a new metal conquered Europe: the alloy of copper and tin that improved the quality of tools and weapons. This development, we argue, initiated a framework for a new political economy. We explore how a political economy approach may help understand the European Bronze Age by focussing on regional comparative advantages in long-distance trade and resulting bottlenecks in commodity flows. Links existed in commodity chains, where obligated labour and ownership of resources helped mobilize surpluses, thus creating potential for social segments to control the production and flows of critical goods. The political economy of Bronze Age Europe would thus represent a transformation in how would-be leaders mobilized resources to support their political ends. The long-distance trade in metals and other commodities created a shift from local group ownership towards increasingly individual strategies to obtain wealth from macro-regional trade. We construct our argument to make ...

103 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The largest Early Bronze Age (c. 3600-2000 BC) metal manufactory in the ancient Near East was found in southern Jordan as mentioned in this paper. But it was not used for metal production.
Abstract: Recent excavations in southern Jordan have revealed the largest Early Bronze Age (c. 3600-2000 BC) metal manufactory in the ancient Near East. On-site Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses of the finds provide new evidence concerning the scale and organization of metal production at a time when the first cities emerged in this part of the Near East. Materials and lead isotope analyses of the metallurgical finds provide important data for reconstructing ancient metal processing and for identifying trade networks.

100 citations

Book
01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: From earliest human society to the Holy Roman Empire, from Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the millennium, Chris Harman provides a brilliant and comprehensive history of the planet as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: From earliest human society to the Holy Roman Empire, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, from the Industrial Revolution to the end of the millennium, Chris Harman provides a brilliant and comprehensive history of the planet.Eschewing the standard histories of "Great Men," of dates and kings, Harman offers a groundbreaking counter-history, a breathtaking sweep across the centuries in the tradition of "history from below." In a fiery narrative, he shows how ordinary men and women were involved in creating and changing society and how conflict between classes was often at the core of these changes.While many pundits see the victory of capitalism as now safely secured, Harman explains the rise and fall of societies and civilizations throughout the ages and demonstrates that history never ends. This magisterial study is essential reading for anyone interested in how society has changed and developed and the possibilities for further radical change in the new millennium

89 citations