Archaeology of Skill

Maikel Kuijpers holds a PhD from Cambridge university and is currently a lecturer in European Prehistory at the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University. His main research topics are technology, craftsmanship, and skill which he explores both in archaeology as well as contemporary society.

• 1. A matter of skill, 2. Hard and soft approaches to ancient metallurgy: two sides of the same coin, 3. Craft theory, 4. Perceptive categories and the standard of the time, 5. Metal Axes and Metallographic Samples, 6. Approaching the data from a craftsperson’s perspective, 7. Late copper age axes, 8. Early bronze age I axes, 9. Early bronze age II axes, 10. Material specialisation and skill, 11. The right beginning: intentionality and axe recipes, 12. What is skill and what does it bring about?, Appendices

"An archaeology of skill will foster a new consideration of archaeological objects from the perspective of the objects’ making and provide new insights into objects beyond usual data points of metal content and find context, which reflect only one moment in an object’s life. A focus on skill also allows new conclusions about makers’ intentions, object purpose and use, change over time, and may provide insight into technological innovation. Scholars from many disciplines, including the history of craft, anthropology, and material culture, will appreciate this book because it enables the assessment and discussion of skill in an empirical manner." - Pamela H. Smith, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute