>[!INFO] >Related:: [[Historical value of craft]] >Editor:: [[Laila Al-Hamad]] ### Craft provides material evidence of past modes of production, organization, and exchange Before the mechanization of production, craft objects were at the core of the economy and craftspeople were essential economic actors. Whether incense burners, metal swords, or ceramic beads, craft can help us understand how objects were produced and by whom, how production was organized, how resources were harnessed, the technologies of the time, and the kinds of skills required. Recently, archaeologists have started using crafting techniques to better understand the challenges faced by early artisans, how they organized around craft, and how certain objects evolved. In his *Prolegomena*, the renown sociologist Ibn Khaldun attributes the rise - and eventual fall - of civilization to the supply of craft labor, the demand for luxury craft and the concomitant flourishing of commerce and culture (Mohamed, 2006). ### Craft sheds light on how human beings related to artifacts Whether sacred or profane, craft objects played an important role in shaping identity, solidifying rituals and building community. Objects were both functional and culturally grounded in local materials, values, and aesthetics. Many, like talismans, were elevated to a level of symbolic and spiritual connection in order to communicate with the Gods or protect against the evil eye. In Morocco (Mattei, 2021), some of the oldest jewelry beads to date were discovered by archeologists. In addition to being used for self-adornment, it seems they were worn as a way to communicate their identity to people outside of their immediate group. This demonstrates the importance of craft in shaping and communicating identity.