Copper, pale-ore and copper alloys in Central Europe

The development of early Bronze metallurgy is interpreted as part of Neolithic prestige good economies. In the later part of the Neolithic, metals first come in as one prestige item among many. The advent of alloying is put into the context of the development of new prestige items in the Early Bronze Age and the increasing popularity of the colour silver, as opposed to the reddish hues typical of the Bell-Beaker complex. The attempt to create steeper hierarchies ultimately failed, but the demand for copper-alloys created by the aspiring elites fostered the growth of a group of craftspersons. Their increasing expertise allowed them to improve their productivity to an extent that ensured their survival after the elites disappeared