The West Mediterranean Between the 14th and 8th Centuries Bc

Subtitled `mining and metallurgical spheres' this book starts with a geographic survey of known metal producers in the protohistoric West Mediterranean. Then the distribution of different metalwork forms is discussed, ranging from swords to fibulae. Two smaller sections cover protohistoric metallurgical technology and ships and navigation. This survey has the advantage of incorporating absolute dating and archaeometallurgical evidence into the conventional typologically based version. It also stresses the complexity of a commercial system where different forms seem to have moved in very different spheres. Of especial interest will be Giardino's views on the apparent lack of contact between Mycenean and West Med. metallurgical worlds and the existence of an Atlantic/West Med. stylistic `koine'. His suggestion that roving metal workers carried their technological skills round the Mediterranean world but remained stylistically open-minded revives a Childean doctrine of the `divine smith' and is sure to be controversial. Bilingual parallel texts in Italian and good English.