Lithic Technology in Metal Using Societies

During several hundred thousand years of human prehistory, siliceous rocks such as flint and chert were the most important raw materials used for tool production. In the 5th millennium BC, however, the use of copper is documented in many Neolithic tool assemblages and in the course of the 3rd millennium BC metal technology is introduced in prehistoric societies all over Europe. With a few exceptions, metal is largely superior to flint when it comes to the production of tools, yet there are regions throughout the world where flint craftsmanship thrived long after metallurgy had been introduced. There are numerous examples of copper and bronze implements being copied with great skill in flint, and in some areas simple flint tools would seem to be in common use even in early Iron Age societies. The present volume embodies the proceedings of a workshop dedicated to lithic technology in metal using societies that was held in connection with the XVth UISPP congress in Lisbon in September 2006. The workshop brought together researchers working on lithic inventories from a global range of societies in which tool-stone is being replaced by metal. Papers providing methodological and theoretical insight pertinent to these issues were also invited and the original score of papers presented at the workshop has been further enriched by papers from authors who were not able to participate in the workshop. With contributions by: Berit V Eriksen; Barbara Armbruster; Mechtild Freudenberg; Catherine Frieman; Annelou Van Gijn; Anders Hogberg; Torben B Ballin; Jarosaw Bronowicki & Mirosaw Masoj; Matthieu Honegger & Pauline De Montmollin; Chloe Druart; Evangelia Karimali; Georgia Kourtessi-Philippakis; Lasse Sensen; Steven A Rosen; Isaac Gilead; Angela Davidzon & Jacob Vardi; Teresa P Raczek; Miriam N Haidle; Udo Neumann & Alfred Pawlik.