Community, Technology and Tradition: A Social Prehistory of the Great Orme Mine

The Great Orme mine in Wales produced copper ore during the Bronze Age, leading to the creation of numerous copper and bronze objects. This book presents an original synthesis and reinterpretation of the complex prehistoric archaeology of the mine, using previously unpublished data to determine where, when, and how mining took place. It examines the social nature of prehistoric mining, including who participated, the character of social relations, the relationship between mining and identity, and how mining shaped the miners' worldview. The book establishes an important research agenda for ongoing work at the mine and contributes to broader debates about the nature of Bronze Age society.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 15 May 2024
Publisher: Sidestone Press

The Great Orme, located in Wales, played a significant role in the mining of copper ore during the second millennium BC. The ore from this mine was smelted into metal, which was then cast and worked into various copper and bronze objects that were characteristic of the Bronze Age in Britain and Europe. This book presents an original synthesis and reinterpretation of the complex prehistoric archaeology of the Great Orme mine. It utilizes previously unpublished data in a novel and comprehensive analysis to determine the location, timing, and methods of mining at this landmark site during the Bronze Age. The author draws on a wealth of information on the archaeology of the contemporary landscape and practices of metal production and working to examine the social nature of prehistoric mining. Observations are offered and conclusions drawn about who participated in mining, the character of social relations at the mine, the relationship between mining and identity, and how mining for copper ore shaped the miners' worldview. Well-supported by the evidence and embedded in contemporary theoretical discussions of Bronze Age social life, this significant study establishes an important research agenda for ongoing work at the Great Orme mine and makes a substantial contribution to broader debates about the nature of Bronze Age society. It offers for the first time a fully contextualized interpretation of Bronze Age mining in Britain from the perspective that it was a fundamentally social activity. Community, Technology, and Tradition is for anyone interested in prehistoric mining and metallurgy, the British Bronze Age, and the archaeology of past lives.

Dimension: 280 x 210 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789464270907