### Record Type:: [[Claims]] ValueofCraft:: [[Historical value of craft]] ### Outline 1. Craft provides material evidence to understand past modes of organization, production and exchange and their evolution 2. Craft attests to continuous human innovation (artistic and scientific) and adaptation (new modes of production) 3. Craft is a lens through which to understand how civilizations related to artifacts (spiritual, economic or social) Craft recounts the story of the world through its materiality. We define civilisations by the materials— stone, bronze and iron—that were used. Human beings created objects that fulfilled basic and complex needs by manipulating materials and developing technologies, shaping history. The hand axe used for hunting during the Stone Age and the astrolabe that enabled maritime navigation and exploration are two such objects.  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.  *100 Objects* was a collaborative project between the British Museum and BBC that used museum artefacts to help us understand the past (BBC, 2008). According to director Neil MacGregor, “Objects connect us to the past and give us a tangible sense of history.”  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). ### References %% DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: start ```dataview list summary from [[Claim - Craft helps us understand the past]] where contains(file.path,"Warp") ``` %% - [[Warp/A history of the world in 100 objects.md|A history of the world in 100 objects]]: Objects play a key role in the way museums can help us understand the past. - [[Warp/Archaeologists Discover ‘Oldest’ Jewelry Ever, Shedding Light on Early Ways of Expressing Identity.md|Archaeologists Discover ‘Oldest’ Jewelry Ever, Shedding Light on Early Ways of Expressing Identity]]: A discovery of the world's oldest jewellery tell us that symbolic behaviour among humans occurred earlier than previously thought. - [[Warp/Blaschka Renaissance project.md|Blaschka Renaissance project]]: The Blaschka Renaissance project captures gestures of glass blowing to safeguard the knowledge - [[Warp/Prince Charles opens Goldsmiths' Fair Digital 2020.md|Prince Charles opens Goldsmiths' Fair Digital 2020]]: For seven centuries, the Goldsmith's Company has supported exceptional craft skills, which are now greatly appreciated. - [[Warp/Stone Age Institute.md|Stone Age Institute]]: The Stone Age Institute’s approach to understanding the past is deeply rooted in the study and recreation of ancient crafts, particularly stone tool-making, to shed light on the evolution of human cognition, behaviour, and culture. - [[Warp/The Islamic Philosophy of Labor and Crafts - The View of the Ikhwan.md|The Islamic Philosophy of Labor and Crafts - The View of the Ikhwan]]: \- %% DATAVIEW_PUBLISHER: end %%