The Value of Making: Theory and Practice in Ancient Craft Production

Helle Hochscheid (Editor), Ben Russell (Editor)

Research output: Book/ReportBook

Abstract / Description of output

This volume brings together contributions by scholars interested in making and the role of the maker to discuss what new anthropological and sociological approaches might add to our understanding of ancient craft production and its value to the makers and their societies.

This volume presents new scholarship on the value and valuing of craft production in ancient societies around the Mediterranean. Ancient economic history, especially when approached archaeologically, has typically — and with good reason — focused upon the objects that were produced by craftspeople, their form and style, and their distribution. Typological approaches necessary for sorting and analysing large bodies of material evidence have also prioritized the final form of artefacts. Yet it was first and foremost the craftspeople behind these items who were responsible for an item’s functionality, its purpose, and its value, and these roles have in recent years received fresh attention in anthropological and sociological studies.

The contributions gathered in this volume revolve around the role of makers, their handling of materials, and their place in networks of production and consumption, whilst at the same time remembering that craftspeople were never lone forces but depended on wider networks of supplies, colleagues, and consumers, as well as more ephemeral considerations such as aesthetics and religious value. Through this approach, the volume sheds new light not only on a range of crafts and materials from the ancient world, but also on the value of making and the making of value in ancient Mediterranean societies.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherBrepols
Number of pages240
ISBN (Print)9782503595191
Publication statusPublished - 13 Dec 2021

Publication series

NameStudies in Classical Archaeology
Volume13

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • craft
  • Roman archaeology
  • Greek archaeology
  • archaeological theory

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The Value of Making: Theory and Practice in Ancient Craft Production'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
  • Introduction: New approaches to old crafts

    Hochscheid, H. & Russell, B., 13 Dec 2021, The Value of Making: Theory and Practice in Ancient Craft Production. Hochscheid, H. & Russell, B. (eds.). Brepols, (Studies in Classical Archaeology; vol. 13).

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

  • Roman stone carvers and their chaîne opératoire

    Russell, B., 13 Dec 2021, The Value of Making: Theory and Practice in Ancient Craft Production. Hochscheid, H. & Russell, B. (eds.). Brepols, (Studies in Classical Archaeology; vol. 13).

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

Cite this