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

Abstract

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.

The (in)visibility of lost wax casting moulds in the archaeological record: observations from an archaeological experiment

“…furnace walls, tuyères) were subjected to simple alteration experiments to analyse their mechanical and water resistivity (cf. Orfanou et al 2022 for a similar approach).…”

“…The experiment aimed to acquire a (rough) qualitative estimate on how easily the materials could be turned into a state that makes them invisible in the archaeological record (cf. Orfanou et al 2022 for a similar approach). It focussed on accidental events because intentional destruction would have resulted in sufficient efforts to achieve this goal.…”

Resilience, innovation and collapse of settlement networks in later Bronze Age Europe: New survey data from the southern Carpathian Basin

“…Its relatively small size for an LBA site (22 ha) and lack of boundary ditch indicate it was probably not a high status site. The extensive evidence for metalworking there indicates a shift in ideology, control and status of metalworking and metalworkers in the MBA-LBA transition [4].…”

“…The mid-second millennium BC was a time of major transformation in Europe, considered to be a key turning point for prehistoric societies [1]. Metal, which had long served as a prestige resource was increasingly used for utilitarian objects, transforming communities into truly metal-using societies that were dependent on it in daily life and, at a more macro-scale, its consumption fuelled competitive political economies [2][3][4]. Societies of the Carpathian Basin have long been regarded as creative driving forces behind the cultural, exchange and political networks that defined the globalised connections of this time [5][6][7][8][9][10].…”

5 Recent developments in archaeometallurgical research: the Bronze Age Greek Mainland, Crete, and the Cyclades

“…One way of doing so is to investigate the potential visibility of various metallurgical activities in the archaeological record. For example, Vana Orfanou et al (2022) demonstrate that, despite the intense heat generated during smelting, air-dried tuyères and the upper part of furnaces are not necessarily fired to ceramic, affecting their survival in certain depositional contexts. Thus, experimental work can provide insights into artefact survival rates, as can research into recycling practices.…”