Innovation and Identity: The Language and Reality of Prehistoric Imitation and Technological Change

Abstract

Skeuomorphism - defined here as the conscious imitation in one material of objects typically made in another - is frequently invoked by archaeologists seeking to explain changes in technology and value systems in the past. I will focus on the use of skeuomorphism as a �one-size-fits-all� interpretative tool for understanding culture change and the introduction of novel materials, techniques, and concomitant value systems. Stone objects and ceramics from the Neolithic-Bronze Age transition (c. 2500�1700 b.c.) in prehistoric Europe have frequently been proxies for studying the introduction of metal and metallurgy into society in much the same way basketry is frequently invoked in discussions of early potting. I will examine this material relationship in the context of archaeological studies of prehistoric innovations. Finally, I will propose that a more contextual approach to imitation, one based in social and technological interpretations of material culture, can open new interpretative doors and radically alter the way skeuomorphism is understood. The example of British Early Bronze Age crescentic necklaces in jet and gold illustrates how this social and technological approach can nuance our understanding of prehistoric material culture, technology, and society.