Marine Ventures - Archaeological Perspectives on Human-Sea Relations - Hein B. Bjerck
25. Bronze Age Connections across the Baltic Sea: Discussing Metalwork as Source of Maritime Contacts in Prehistory
Marine Ventures - Archaeological Perspectives on Human-Sea Relations - Hein B. Bjerck
Uwe Sperling
Tartu University
Description
In discussing metalwork as source of cultural contacts in the Baltic Sea the article wants to outline prevailing approaches and perspectives in Eastern Baltic research-hstory on the distribution, circulation and production of metals, that is in the context of maritime long-distance relations and in the light of archaeological evidence and factual data on the conditions of navigation in the Baltic in the Bronze Age. Different perspectives on different materialized groups of sources are presented and discussed: bronzes objects, when interpreted as indicators to gift exchange or trade commodities, and bronze production remains (from workshops), when rather poorly studied and neglected in their informative potential in regard to technological and logistical implications of metalwork. It is argued that when referring to metalwork as only and primary (economic) source of cultural contacts there is the hazard of wide-ranging interpretations, and therefore interaction studies need to apply alternative approaches and complementary sources (e.g. pottery-studies). At the same time the Bronze Age research needs to develop all the various perspectives (socio-culturally; symbolical-semiotically; metallurgically) on metalwork and interaction studies.