Middle and Late Bronze Age Metal Tools from the Aegean, Eastern ...

metal smiths moved throughout the landscape (if at all) are all inconclusive. Some of
these issues are discussed in more detail in the concluding chapter.
VII. Utilitarian tools
Utilitarian metal implements (1564 examples) rank second behind
carpentry/masonry tools in terms of overall quantity (Figs. 3.4a, b). Utilitarian tools are
multi-functional; knives, razors, scrapers, spatulas, cleavers, and undefined blades are
grouped together for their all-purpose character. These objects cannot be classified within
a specific craft category, and it is probable that they functioned in a mix of craft and
personal activities. Given their nature as cutting implements, these utilitarian tools
(excluding scrapers and spatulas) were capable of being used as weapons, but it is
doubtful that they were explicitly designed and manufactured for this purpose. The
number of utilitarian objects from the MBA and LBA is remarkable. These tools occur in
greater quantities in the later period, yet they represent a greater portion of the MBA’s
total tool count than that of the LBA (Fig. 3.4b; Fig. 3.15a, b). The chronological and
spatial distributions of the utilitarian tools indicate localized preferences and only a few
cross-cultural similarities. There is a slight increase in the proportion of utilitarian
implements from the MBA to the LBA on Crete. Although the overall sum of the LH
implements trumps that of the earlier era by a large margin, the percentage of these
utilitarian tools on the mainland (as measured against the region’s total count) declined
slightly from 51.3% to 49.1% over the second millennium. The percentage of utilitarian
tools on Cyprus drops substantially (63% to 21.3%) from the MBA to the LBA, and there
is a minimal fall (from 15.4% to 11.3%) in the Anatolian assemblage from the same time.
These patterns illustrate different regional preferences for utilitarian implements.
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