From Hard Rock to Heavy Metal

The discovery and development of metals as tool media is a topic of global interest. This phenomenon is generally associated with sedentary agricultural societies; however in North America metal use by hunter-gatherer populations began as early as 9000 years ago and continued into modern times. The regional and cultural diversity of research in this volume contributes to how we conceptualize hunter-gatherer innovation technological proficiency and complex decision-making in the past. Readers are challenged to reconsider long-held assumptions about how when and under what conditions metal became a part of humanity's story.