The Prehistory of Metallurgy in the British Isles by R. F. Tylecote

Abstract

TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE Book Reviews 133 and iron to a certain extent: the fact that coppersmiths and ironsmiths were at times the same individuals; the frequent occurrence of the two metals on the same objects; the manufacture of identical objects, in iron and in copper, with clearly quite disparate func­ tions, and so forth. But for a complete and rich understanding of Af­ rican metals and metallurgy, we need a study such as Herbert’s that will show the connections between the two materials. “What is strik­ ing,” comments Herbert, “is how rarely copper and copper alloys were used for utilitarian objects in the usual sense of the word . . . . I will argue, however, that more than utility was generally involved in the choice of material. Or, to put it another way, the use of cop­ per in many or most contexts was part of a language of materials ex­ pressing values or beliefs integral to the culture in which the object was employed” (pp. 209-10). And the same could be argued for iron. Perhaps the most important argument of this excellent book is the author’s appreciation of the “culture” of the material: “What we have lost in our industrial age is the dynamism of these symbols. For us, they have become passive signifiers rather than the actual con­ tainers of power that they represented in precolonial Africa. We can­ not imagine the linguist’s staff ornamented with copper or gold literally speaking for the king, or that investiture is infinitely more than handing over a gavel” (pp. 301—2). Red Gold ofAfrica is a sensi­ tive piece of scholarship, an important addition to the literature for those who seek understanding of culture through its material and technological rendition. Heather Lechtman Ms. Lechtman is director of the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Prehistory of Metallurgy in the British Isles. By R. F. Tylecote. Lon­ don: Institute of Metals (1 Carlton House Terrace SW1Y 5DB), 1986. Pp. xiii+257; illustrations, tables, notes, glossary, bibliogra­ phy, indexes. £19.95; $39.00. Available from Brookfield Publish­ ing Company, Old Post Road, Brookfield, Vermont 05036. We know relatively more of human experience with technology in prehistoric times than with social organization or political sys­ tems because artifacts record only technology. Interpretation of the cultural significance of artifacts begins with understanding the tech­ nology used by their makers, including the difficulties encountered by the artificer and the skills, resources, and support services re­ quired. With this information at hand, inferences may be drawn about the social setting in which an artifact was produced. Metal arti­ facts are of particular interest in prehistory because, according to Gordon Childe, metallurgy was the first human activity to require the services of a specialized, separate group of artificers in society. R.F. Tylecote’s Prehistory ofMetallurgy is a technical account of prehis­ 134 Book Reviews TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE toric metallurgical processes and artifacts that provides a starting point for understanding humanity’s early experience with metals. It covers the winning and fabrication of all of the major and minor met­ als from earliest times through the early modern period. Although it is about metallurgy in Britain, the principles and methods ex­ plained are universally applicable in the study of archaeometallurgy. This book is a revision of Metallurgy in Archaeology, published in 1962, which (despite its title) is also a book about metallurgy in Brit­ ain. Archaeometallurgy has been an active field of research in the past twenty-five years, and many new data have come to light through both field and laboratory investigations. The changes made in the new edition are substantial; they reflect, for example, the growing use of metallographic methods to supplement chemical analyses in the examination of artifacts. Few, if any, research results in archaeometallurgy have escaped Tylecote’s critical evaluation in this book. There are abundant illustrations of both artifacts and the results of archaeological excavations carried out on smelting and metalworking sites. Mining technology, however, is not dealt with. Students will find the glossary and the extended list of jour­ nals carrying archaeometallurgical reports useful. Chapters on fabri­ cation methods and on fuels...