Minoan metal vessel manufacturing: Techniques and Technology

Abstract

The equipment and processes used to manufacture hammered metal vessels during the palatial periods of Bronze Age Crete have not previously been investigated in detail. The study described in this paper takes an interdisciplinary approach to the investigation of how these vessels were made, combining archaeological research with metalsmithing practice to reconstruct Minoan metal vessel production techniques. The results indicate that simple tools found at many Minoan metallurgical sites are effective for creating these vessel forms. That these tools are also found in contexts which are not considered metallurgical sites may indicate that metalsmithing occurred in more locations than are currently recognized.*