‘Making the Bronze Age’: a review of the session held at the Theoretical Archaeology Group conference, University of Bristol, 17th – 19th November 2010

More than 600 delegates assembled in the magnificent neo-gothic Wills Memorial building in Bristol where the majority of the 28 sessions took place. The session ‘Making the Bronze Age: craft and craftspeople 2500-800BC’ was held in the beautiful setting of the Old Council Chamber. Support had kindly been provided by the Prehistoric Society and the HERA-funded project Creativity and Craft Production in the Middle and Late Bronze Age (CinBA).The session organisers, Joanna Sofaer (University of Southampton) and Rob Lee (University of Southampton), brought together a diverse range of 14 speakers. Representing a wide cross-section from continental Europe and the British Isles, their papers focused on crafts and the craftsmanship of the Bronze Age, exploring a broad range of material culture, covering areas from textiles, jet, gold and amber to flint, bronze, ceramics and wood and even explored the concept of cremation as a craft. The concept of the chaîne opératoire, the social and economic context of the maker as well as conceptions and mis-conceptions of their status continuously emerged as central themes in the papers.

Read the full story from CinBA website.