Who Has an Art, Has Everywhere a Part: Craft Production, Specialization, and Prestige in Praehistoric Societies

Abstract

Craft specialization means that certain tasks and/or activities are performed exclusively by certain members of a community, either as their main/basic activity, or parallel to other activities. The emergence of specialization is often associated to complex societies, or more precisely, its presence presupposes social stratification and is negated in non-stratified societies. However, the organization of production of various goods and the development of specialization are much more complex, and cannot be simply characterized in terms of presence/absence, since there are various modes and levels of specialization. Therefore, over the last decades the need is recognized for a new revised theoretical framework. Some authors suggest new definitions of specialization and production organization, specifically emphasizing social and cultural aspects (along with the purely economic ones) that influence the technological choices. Power and prestige status are not solely linked to control over resources and larger amount of material goods, but also to their character – prestige objects are an important factor in the development of crafts, the emergence of craft specialization, and emergence/increase in social inequality. In praehistory, the symbolic importance and value were ascribed to certain technologies and objects, not only on the grounds of exotic raw material or other highly valued qualities (durability of an object, as well as non-utilitarian traits, such as colour), but also due to the effort and skill applied in their production. Such prestige objects secured or reflected the esteem and status to the individuals who made and/or possessed them.