| Copper-base metallurgy during Bronze Age Transcaucasia is recognized by archaeologists for having influenced the metallurgical developments in surrounding territories, yet the specific technological and social mechanisms driving this technology within Transcaucasia have yet to be well reconstructed. The aims of this dissertation research have been to achieve a finer-grained characterization of metallurgical technology than previously achieved in order to better position metallurgical technology within social and economic contexts within Transcaucasia and in surrounding territories. The results of this research provide an initial step towards understanding metallurgical traditions and their social and economic implications for Transcaucasia during the Early and Middle Bronze Age, ca. 3500/3200-1500 BC.; Forty copper-base artifacts from the Republic of Armenia, recovered from secure contexts and dating to the Early and Middle Bronze Ages, have been examined using a combined program of analyses. Metallographic analysis was conducted in order to characterize manufacturing techniques. Compositional analyses using both X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and electron-microprobe analysis (EMPA) were used in order to establish the presence and quantity of twelve major constituent elements in the forty-eight samples taken from forty artifacts.; Combined theoretical models including studies of craft specialization and the anthropology of technology---in particular the idea of identifying a "technological style," provide the theoretical underpinnings which have shaped the goals of this research. The ultimate aim is to attempt to define a technological style for copper-base metallurgy in Transcaucasia across a broad chronological timeframe.; The analytical results appear to show that there are definable trends in the manufacturing techniques among the different types of artifacts studied, e.g. ornaments, weapons, implements, and vessels. The metallographic results indicate that among this diverse group of artifacts largely similar manufacturing techniques where used. Whereas, there are fewer identifiable trends in the compositions and alloys used among different classes of artifacts. Artifact groupings based on similar alloy compositions appear to adhere more closely to chronological divisions rather than to the different artifact-type. In conclusion, however, the data indicate that a technological "style," defined by Lechtman (1977:4) as the "extrinsic manifestation of intrinsic patterns," may be evident in the patterns of metalworking. |
