Metalworkers and their Tools: Symbolism, Function, and Technology in the Bronze and Iron Ages

12 papers by 22 authors from the “Metools” symposium (Queens University, Belfast, 2016), aim to shine a spotlight on the tools of the metalworker and to follow their evolution from the beginning of the Bronze Age through to the Iron Age, as well as the place held by metalworking and its artisans in the economic and social landscape o

Metalworkers and their Tools brings together 12 papers by 22 authors from the “Metools” international symposium organised in at Queens University, Belfast in June 2016 as part of the HardRock project “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: context, function, and choice of early metalworking tools on Europe’s Atlantic facade” (Marie Sklodowska Curie, No. 623392) and the “Metal Ages in Europe” commission of the International Union of Pre- and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP). Its aim was to shine a spotlight on the tools of the metalworker and to follow their evolution from the beginning of the Bronze Age through to the Iron Age, as well as the place held by metalworking and its artisans in the economic and social landscape of the period.

Metallurgy; Metalworker; Tools; Lithic Tools; Metal Tools; Workshop; Bronze; Copper; Gold; Iron; Metal Ages; Bronze Age; Iron Age; United Kingdom; France; Germany; Corsica; Spain; Italy; Scandinavia Le metallurgiste et ses outils : symboliques, fonctions, et techniques durant l'age du Bronze et l'age du Fer Fine metalworking tools and workshops in Western and Northern Europe. A diachronic consideration - Barbara Armbruster A Macroscopic and 3D Morphometric Study of Prehistoric Mining Tools from the Lower Segura Valley, Southeast Spain - Scott Ingram and Dirk Brandherm Minimum Tools Required: A system for organising the metalsmith's workshop - E. Giovanna Fregni Hammers of the Gods: the role of metalworking tools in the Interpretation of hoards in Late Bronze Age Britain - E. Giovanna Fregni The concept and meaning of tools: functional aspects and social implications - Bianka Nessel Le discret atelier de bronzier du XII^e siecle avant notre ere de la Rue du Bouquet a Montelimar (Drome) : protocole de fouille et premiers resultats - Sylvie Cousseran-Nere, Eric Nere, Marilou Nordez avec la collaboration de Linda Boutoille Experimental Casting Pit for Bronze Items. A Preliminary Study - Alessandro Armigliato Des outils lithiques lies a la deformation plastique des metaux sur le site de Cuciurpula (Corse, Bronze final/premier age du Fer) ?- Linda Boutoille et Kewin Peche-Quilichini La forge hallstattienne de Weyersheim (Bas-Rhin, France) - Hallstatt D3/La Tene ancienne - Michler Matthieu, Jodry Florent, Badey Sylvain, Clerc Patrick avec la collaboration de Berranger Marion, Cabboi Luisella, Van ES Marieke Embossed Ornaments on Gold Objects of the Early Iron Age in South-West Germany - Tools and Experimental Work - Birgit Schorer Artisans du metal et pratiques rituelles non funeraires a l'epoque latenienne : le cas de la Gaule du V^e av. J.-C. a la conquete romaine - Thibault Le Cozanet, Gerard Bataille Tracing Multimetal Craftsmanship through Metallurgical debris - Open-air workshops and multimetality in Late Iron Age Scandinavia - Andreas Svensson,

Metallurgy; Metalworker; Tools; Lithic Tools; Metal Tools; Workshop; Bronze; Copper; Gold; Iron; Metal Ages; Bronze Age; Iron Age; United Kingdom; France; Germany; Corsica; Spain; Italy; Scandinavia

Le métallurgiste et ses outils : symboliques, fonctions, et techniques durant l’âge du Bronze et l’âge du Fer

Fine metalworking tools and workshops in Western and Northern Europe. A diachronic consideration – Barbara Armbruster

A Macroscopic and 3D Morphometric Study of Prehistoric Mining Tools from the Lower Segura Valley, Southeast Spain – Scott Ingram and Dirk Brandherm

Minimum Tools Required: A system for organising the metalsmith’s workshop – E. Giovanna Fregni

Hammers of the Gods: the role of metalworking tools in the Interpretation of hoards in Late Bronze Age Britain – E. Giovanna Fregni

The concept and meaning of tools: functional aspects and social implications – Bianka Nessel

Le discret atelier de bronzier du XII^e siècle avant notre ère de la « Rue du Bouquet » à Montélimar (Drôme) : protocole de fouille et premiers résultats – Sylvie Cousseran-Néré, Eric Néré, Marilou Nordez avec la collaboration de Linda Boutoille

Experimental Casting Pit for Bronze Items. A Preliminary Study – Alessandro Armigliato

Des outils lithiques liés à la déformation plastique des métaux sur le site de Cuciurpula (Corse, Bronze final/premier âge du Fer) ?  – Linda Boutoille et Kewin Peche-Quilichini

La forge hallstattienne de Weyersheim (Bas-Rhin, France) - Hallstatt D3/La Tène ancienne – Michler Matthieu, Jodry Florent, Badey Sylvain, Clerc Patrick avec la collaboration de Bérranger Marion, Cabboï Luisella, Van ES Marieke

Embossed Ornaments on Gold Objects of the Early Iron Age in South-West Germany –
Tools and Experimental Work – Birgit Schorer

Artisans du métal et pratiques rituelles non funéraires à l’époque laténienne : le cas de la Gaule du V^e av. J.-C. à la conquête romaine – Thibault Le Cozanet, Gérard Bataille

Tracing Multimetal Craftsmanship through Metallurgical debris – Open-air workshops and multimetality in Late Iron Age Scandinavia – Andreas Svensson

Linda Boutoille has a PhD in archaeology from the Université de Bourgogne and is currently Research Fellow based at Queen’s University. She has held a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, a Royal Irish Academy Research Grant, a British Academy Research Grant and more recently a Gerda Henkel Research Grant. Her main research interests lie with both the technological and organisational aspects of prehistoric craft activities, and of Bronze Age metalwork production in particular.

Rebecca Peake has a PhD in archaeology from the Université de Bourgogne and is currently a senior project manager with the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) and a member of the research team UMR 6298 of CNRS. Her published work focuses on interpretative approaches to land occupation and funerary practices in the Bronze and the Early Iron Ages.

• Edited by Linda Boutoille
• Edited by Rebecca Peake

‘The spread of different topics delivers many interesting aspects of metalworking and is clearly explained by the many experienced scholars. I highly recommend this book and hope it finds a wide use for anyone interested in tracing metalworkers of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Highlighting the use of stone tools is very welcome and needed, as their importance has long been overlooked.’ – Marion Uckelmann (2024): Antiquity Vol. 98, New Book Chronicle

—

'The beauty of small, thematically oriented conferences is that there are very large overlaps that can be quickly identified and discussed despite temporal and regional differences. Some of the contributions have already been read in a similar form, but in the context of this short but successful conference proceedings, they are a welcome addition, and anyone interested in the subject of tools will certainly find what they are looking for here.' [translated] – Roland Schwab (2025): Gnomon Bd. 97

—