| Abstract: |
Childe believed that craft specialization in the prehistoric period was a direct cause of social evolution. It is proposed here that Childe's formulation, which he based mainly on inferences from European archaeological data, must be modified in light of historical and ethnohistorical data about preindustrial metal production in eastern and southern Asia. Whether workers spend all or only part of time at their craft is not in itself of great significance. However, specialization in a broader sense, that of economic dependence on a given craft and of skill in applying craft procedures, may well have been essential to the development of certain industries. And the existence of such industries may well have contributed to the success of large, complexly organized political units.
|
