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The Social Role of Metals

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Metals in Past Societies

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Archaeology ((BRIEFSCOAF))

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Abstract

Mining, smelting and fabrication created usable objects which were instrumental in addressing lower and higher order societal needs. This chapter takes this theme further by focusing on the social role of metals across different layers of society. The impact of metals was only gradually felt after their introduction but when well established the influence of metals virtually extended to each and every corner of society. Metals were fashioned into tools for agriculture which increased food production and also made spears and axes which were critical for territorial integration and defense. Musical instruments too were critical for relaxation purposes. Furthermore, metal became a medium of representation from temple accessories in Egypt to the palaces of Benin and Asante in West Africa. The exploitation of metals also had strong social consequences because it created opportunities for wealth accumulation, social differentiation and intensified urbanism. Different availability gradients resulted in localized, regionalized and internationalized trade which created a maze of networks at all levels. Thus Africa was enchained to Eurasia via the trans-Saharan trade and the Indian Ocean based systems. This interaction foreshadowed by millennia, current attempts at regional integration through initiatives such as the BRICS bloc. Trade brought in new forms of wealth such as exotic commodities which have traditionally been seen as a source of power through unequal access by different strata in society. In Southern Africa, it appears that these categories of imports were luxuries which were used to express power, but the power base rested on the more predictable factors such as land, cattle, ancestors and metals. In any case, it is very risky to base power on luxury and something which the elites could not control given the strong challenges with bureaucratic control. Finally, not all imports were accepted and achieved the same level of success. Unlike the very popular glass beads, Chinese ceramics possibly failed to dislodge local ceramics which were wrapped up in the trinity of ancestors, containment and reproduction. This makes sense because the adoption of objects follows pre-existing logics which are protected by different vellums that impose order in a community.

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  1. Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    Shadreck Chirikure

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Chirikure, S. (2015). The Social Role of Metals. In: Metals in Past Societies. SpringerBriefs in Archaeology(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11641-9_6

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