Early Metallurgy Between the Near East and Southeastern Europe in Social Context (c. 5000‐3500 BC)

Abstract

The earliest documented instances of extractive metallurgy date around 5000 BC in both Southwestern Asia and Southeastern Europe. Current evidence from Iran, Anatolia, as well as from the Western Black Sea Coast and across the Balkan Mountains, indicates that by this time metallurgical production was carried out only in a small number of settlement sites and that these centres were separated by long distances. Accordingly, these early adopters seem to have been extremely diverse in terms of their social organization and cultural values. In this study, I am particularly interested in examining the social context of metallurgy during its formative stage between 5000 BC and 3500 BC and taking into consideration how cultural attitudes and responses might have been influential factors in shaping the development of metallurgy.