Index Dutch Bronze Age Index first farmers in the Netherlands Bronze Age metalworking in the Netherlands (c.2000-800 B.C.) PRESS RELEASE Sidestone Press releases new award-winning book on Dutch Bronze Age metalworking Leiden 15-11-2008 Maikel H.G. Kuijpers recently graduated (University of Leiden) on his excellent thesis on Bronze Age metalworking. For his thesis he has been awarded with the biannual W.A. van Es-prize 2008 for the best Dutch archaeological MA thesis. His thesis “Bronze Age Metalworking in the Netherlands (c. 2000-800 B.C.)” has now been published by Sidestone Press. Almost fifty years ago J.J. Butler started his research to trace the possible remains of a Bronze Age metalworkers workshop in the Netherlands. Yet, while metalworking has been deduced on the ground of the existence regional types of axes and some scarce finds related to metalworking, the production locus of the smith has remained elusive. In his thesis Kuijpers tries to tackle this problem. By considering both the social as well as the technological aspects of metalworking he is able to determine conclusively whether metalworking took place in the Netherlands or not. The first part of the thesis revolves around the social position of the smith and the social organization of metalworking. His approach entailed a re-evaluation of the current theories on metalworking, which is believed to be unfounded and one-sided. They tend to disregard production of everyday objects of which the most prominent example is the axe. The second part deals with the technological aspects of metalworking and how these processes are manifested in the archaeological record. Based on evidence from archaeological sites elsewhere in Europe and with the aid of experimental archaeology a metalworking toolkit is constructed. Finally, a method is presented which might help archaeologists recognize the production locus of a Bronze Age smith. Bronze Age metalworking in the Netherlands (c.2000-800BC) Type of Publication: Mphil thesis (University of Leiden, the Netherlands ) ISBN: 978-90-8890-015-0 Number of pages: 176 More information Sidestone Press www.sidestone.com    More information about the writer / editor