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Craft specialization as an agent of social power in the south Scandinavian Neolithic

Olausson, Deborah LU orcid (1997) p.269-277
Abstract
The ability to identify craft specialization in the archaeological record has wider ramifications for the study of prehistoric society, since it is apparent that there is a certain relationship between the organization of craft specialization and social complexity. It is fruitful to distinguish among 3 categories here: household production on the one hand, and attached and independent craft specialists on the other. We should expect a lack of craft specialization in egalitarian societies, attached specialist production of hypertrophic (i.e., not practically useful) goods in ranked societies, and independent specialist production of labor-cheap (mainly utilitarian) goods in state-level societies. The paper presents the author’s attempts to... (More)
The ability to identify craft specialization in the archaeological record has wider ramifications for the study of prehistoric society, since it is apparent that there is a certain relationship between the organization of craft specialization and social complexity. It is fruitful to distinguish among 3 categories here: household production on the one hand, and attached and independent craft specialists on the other. We should expect a lack of craft specialization in egalitarian societies, attached specialist production of hypertrophic (i.e., not practically useful) goods in ranked societies, and independent specialist production of labor-cheap (mainly utilitarian) goods in state-level societies. The paper presents the author’s attempts to explore craft specialization in the Swedish Neolithic. Artifact types which are studied include flint axes and flint daggers as well as several groundstone artifact types. Studies of the ease and speed of manufacture, possible manufacturing loci, and standardization are among the means used to identify possible specialization in the Swedish Neolithic. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
flint daggers, craft specialization, aggrandizers, flint axes
host publication
Man and Flint
editor
Schild, Romuald and Sulgotowska, Zofia
pages
269 - 277
publisher
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography Polish Academy of Sciences
ISBN
83-85463-55-0
project
Handmade. Crafting and social strategies in the Scandinavian Neolithic
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1289471a-bcb0-4e70-bb7f-cc4c08802bfd (old id 538938)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 11:26:39
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:04:53
@inproceedings{1289471a-bcb0-4e70-bb7f-cc4c08802bfd,
  abstract     = {{The ability to identify craft specialization in the archaeological record has wider ramifications for the study of prehistoric society, since it is apparent that there is a certain relationship between the organization of craft specialization and social complexity. It is fruitful to distinguish among 3 categories here: household production on the one hand, and attached and independent craft specialists on the other. We should expect a lack of craft specialization in egalitarian societies, attached specialist production of hypertrophic (i.e., not practically useful) goods in ranked societies, and independent specialist production of labor-cheap (mainly utilitarian) goods in state-level societies. The paper presents the author’s attempts to explore craft specialization in the Swedish Neolithic. Artifact types which are studied include flint axes and flint daggers as well as several groundstone artifact types. Studies of the ease and speed of manufacture, possible manufacturing loci, and standardization are among the means used to identify possible specialization in the Swedish Neolithic.}},
  author       = {{Olausson, Deborah}},
  booktitle    = {{Man and Flint}},
  editor       = {{Schild, Romuald and Sulgotowska, Zofia}},
  isbn         = {{83-85463-55-0}},
  keywords     = {{flint daggers; craft specialization; aggrandizers; flint axes}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{269--277}},
  publisher    = {{Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography Polish Academy of Sciences}},
  title        = {{Craft specialization as an agent of social power in the south Scandinavian Neolithic}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5775074/3615866.pdf}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}