Christian Horn, Knut Ivar Austvoll, Johan Ling, Magnus Artursson, Nordic Bronze Age Economies. Cambridge Elements: Elements in Ancient and Pre-modern Economies (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2024)

This review critically examines Nordic Bronze Age Economies (Horn et al. 2024), situating the volume within current debates on European Bronze Age economic systems. After summarizing the authors’ main arguments—particularly their model of intertwined domestic and political economies structured around a “Maritime Mode of Production”—the review assesses the strengths of the book’s regional approach and its integration of archaeological, environmental, and social data. It then offers critical reflections on the use of economic concepts such as comparative advantage, the role of warrior elites, and the interpretation of long-distance exchange as predominantly non-monetary. Special attention is devoted to the underexplored evidence for weight systems and the possible monetary use of bronze. Overall, the review acknowledges the volume as a major contribution to Nordic Bronze Age studies while proposing alternative perspectives intended to stimulate further discussion on ancient economic modelling.