The aim of the study is to examine technological, cognitive and symbolic aspects of metallurgy in southern Norway from the Bronze Age (i.e. 1700-500 cal. BC to the beginning of the Late Neolothic, i.e. c. 2400 cal. BC. Two sets of ideas are scrutinized: 1) ideas that have governed and still govern archaeological concepts of the Bronze Age, and 2) ideas that moulded Bronze Age mentality, arising, it is argued, from physical experience with metallurgy.