Economies of Destruction

Why do people destroy objects and materials that are important to them? This book aims to make sense of this fascinating, yet puzzling social practice by focusing on a period in history in which such destructive behavior reached unseen heights and complexity: the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in Europe (c. 2300-500 BC).

Autorentext

David Fontijn is professor in the archaeology of early Europe at the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Leiden and affiliated member of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI). His research focuses on ritual landscapes and on the social evolution of prehistoric farming societies in Europe and Eurasia. Previous books include the award-winning Sacrificial landscapes (2003) and Transformation through Destruction (2013; co-written/edited with S. Van der Vaart and R. Jansen).

Inhalt

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1 Systematic irrationalities? The Bronze Age 'destructive economy'

Chapter 2 Selective deposition - what does it entail and how can it be studied?

Chapter 3 The value conundrum - what common things and splendid items share and why their deposition is selective *

• Chapter 4 Pre-Bronze Age selective deposition

Chapter 5 Trade hoards - the un-economic nature of the Bronze Age metal economy

Chapter 6 Gifts to familiar gods?

Chapter 7 The receiving landscape

Chapter 8 Economies of destruction: 'keeping-while-destroying'?

Index