... one of the best books yet written on preindustrial African ironworking." -Geoarchaeology Peter Schmidt has written an important synthesis of two decades' work on the iron technology of the Haya people of Tanzania." -African Studies Review ... essential reading for archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians of East Africa... " -International Journal of African Historical Studies In Schmidt's skillful and sensitive hands... the topic comes alive as a vital sociology of knowledge in ways that will interest a great many readers, both in and outside of archaeology and African Studies." -Choice Peter R. Schmidt distills more than 20 years of research on the technological, historical, and cultural dimensions of African iron production from ancient times to the recent past. His investigation of the rich symbolism surrounding traditional methods of iron production sheds light on the history of iron technology and reveals its central cultural role.