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A Return to the Dark Ages? Reply to Thornton et al. 2010

April 2010 (114.2)
Forum Response

A Return to the Dark Ages? Reply to Thornton et al. 2010

114.2
Nissim Amzallag
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A synthetic theory pointing out the central importance of metallurgy in the emergence of Bronze Age civilizations was recently published in the AJA (“From Metallurgy to Bronze Age Civilizations: The Synthetic Theory,” AJA 113 [2009] 497–519). In reaction, six well-known authors (Christopher Thornton, Jonathan Golden, David Killick, Vincent Pigott, Thilo Rehren, and Benjamin Roberts) have written a rebuttal devoted mainly to defending the current localizationist paradigm challenged by the synthetic theory. In this reply, the epistemological nature of localizationism and its position regarding scientific theories is considered first, then three critical points underlying the synthetic theory are discussed: (1) the external mode of crucible heating, (2) the incompatibility of crucible and furnace smelting, and (3) the prevalence of southern Canaan in the emergence of furnace metallurgy.

See Also: 
A Chalcolithic Error: Rebuttal to Amzallag 2009
From Metallurgy to Bronze Age Civilizations: The Synthetic Theory
More articles like this: 
Archaeological Science
Bronze Age
Metallurgy/Metalworking
Prehistory
Near East

A Return to the Dark Ages? Reply to Thornton et al. 2010

By Nissim Amzallag

American Journal of Archaeology Vol. 114, No. 2 (April 2010), pp. 317–329

DOI: 10.3764/aja.114.2.317

© 2010 Archaeological Institute of America

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