ABSTRACT
The two important themes in the study of ancient socioeconomic systems are the social organization of production and craft specialization. The author outlines a methodology for the study of craft specialization in general, and metallurgy in particular. Using ethnographic, historical, and archaeological examples, they have attempted to create a model that will help them to understand craft production during the Chalcolithic of the Southern Levant. On one level, they are concerned with the logistics of the production process itself, but they are also interested in the mode of production and, ultimately, how this relates to Chalcolithic social organization in general. The investigation of these issues, therefore, will require the integration of both analytical and contextual data for the archaeological finds related to metal production and use. The basic concepts are derived largely from the more general model for craft specialization, but are here adapted specifically to suit the Chalcolithic archaeometallurgical assemblage.
