Close
IAMS Beno Rothenberg Memorial Lecture 2024: Gold and power ... to the people
19 March 2024, 6:00 pm–7:00 pm
Marcos Martinón-Torres (Pitt-Rivers Professor of Archaeological Science, University of Cambridge) will give the IAMS Professor Beno Rothenberg Memorial Lecture 2024 at the UCL Institute of Archaeology on 19 March.
This event is free.
Event Information
Open to
- All
Availability
- Yes
Cost
- Free
Organiser
-
Yu-chun Kan (On behalf of the Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies)
Location
-
Archaeology Lecture Theatre G6UCL Institute of Archaeology31-34 Gordon SquareLondonWC1H 0PYUnited Kingdom
Gold and power… to the people. The archaeometallurgy of collective action
Abstract
Gold is widely considered the ultimate luxury. Implicitly or explicitly, we associate gold to wealth, power, and ostentation – a commodity that marks the many differences between the haves and the have-nots. However, archaeology demonstrates that this is not always and invariably the case. From Crete to Colombia, some prehistoric societies invested materials and energy to produce intricate goldwork through collective effort, and for communal benefit. In the absence of rigid power structures and coercive elites, these complex crafts required creative forms of organisation. As part of the REVERSEACTION project, pioneering scientific analyses of goldwork and other artefacts in their archaeological contexts are beginning to shed light on how luxury technologies can be shared and sustained for generations.
Virtual attendance
For those unable to attend in person, this event will be recorded on Zoom, please register for the Zoom link here.
About the Speaker
Marcos Martinón-Torres
Pitt-Rivers Professor of Archaeological Scienc at University of Cambridge
Marcos Martinón-Torres FSA, an Institute of Archaeology alumnus, is the Pitt-Rivers Professor of Archaeological Science at the University of Cambridge, where he also co-leads the Cambridge Heritage Science Hub (CHERISH). He is co-editor of the Journal of Archaeological Science and a trustee of the Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies.
Together with 30 international PhD students and other colleagues, he has carried out archaeometallurgical research on gold, silver, iron and copper alloys, investigating craft organisation, knowledge transmission, innovation, and value systems in Europe, America, Asia and Africa. His research and knowledge exchange initiatives have earned competitive funding totalling over £12 million, won several awards, and attracted mass media coverage.
He is strongly committed to public engagement and has participated in multiple films, public lectures and exhibitions in 20 countries.
More about Marcos Martinón-Torres
