Dynamics of change in flint sickles of the age of metals: New insights from a technological approach

Flint sickle blades are traditionally considered significant hallmarks of the late prehistoric and early historic periods. Their morpho-typological transformations over time have been differently interpreted, but the idea that each sickle type would have been substituted by the following because of more effectiveness, permitting development and intensification of agricultural practices, is still dominant. Without denying the importance of these functional considerations, another perspective for understanding technological change is to consider the entire process of sickle manufacture, the spatial and temporal organization of technical activities, methods and techniques implied in the manufacturing processes, and knowledge and skill required for production. Using all these parameters, changes in the production of sickles in the age of metals, from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age, can be perceived not simply as reflection of technological progress but rather as the result of complex historical phenomena involving the social, economic, and cultural structures of ancient societies.