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

The method for interpreting data from this large database relies on both broadly-
and narrowly-defined queries, and discussion of the evidence moves from a bird’s eye
view to the more specific. The queries of this project represent a small portion of what
the database offers, and scholars with other agendas may use the evidence in different
ways. For instance, more attention may be given to comparing metal tool production and
consumption and ascertaining the relationship of these two processes. The spatial
variance between production centers and the distribution of final metal products may
indicate the degree to which tools were moved throughout the Mediterranean. A general
understanding of metallurgy by region and period, discussed in Chapter 1 and also
summarized in Chapter 6, enriches our understanding of the metal tool industries.
Recognizing the centers of metallurgical production puts the dissemination of metal tools
into perspective; this issue could be studied in greater detail than is treated here.
Tools intended for carpentry, masonry, metallurgy, agriculture, and minor crafts
(e.g. textile and leather working) are copious and survive in various contexts. The
calculation of the percentages of each tool category by region, context, and period reveals
intriguing patterns of preference, consumption, and deposition. Querying these major
categories established an understanding of the tool distributions, which occurs in Chapter
3. This foundation permitted a more detailed investigation of a single tool category—
carpentry and masonry implements—in Chapters 4 and 5, which offer a better evaluation
of interregional craft links. Because they are the most common, wood- and stone-working
implements were spotlighted. Moreover, traces of carpentry/masonry implement use are
occasionally visible on stone remains, and such markings reveal different kinds of
implements no longer preserved in the archaeological record. Hoards are recognized as
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