Organization and specialization of early mining and metal technologies in Anatolia

Abstract

The development of metallurgy in Anatolia is argued to be the result of complex long-term engagements and interactions among diversified highland and lowland communities. We focus on the various ways people acquired, produced, traded, and consumed metals in this review of recent advancements in the study of Anatolian metalwork. Here, we draw attention to research conducted primarily in the Taurus Mountains and central Anatolia during the last decade that examines the changing relationship between society and technology during the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. Specifically, we examine institutions of metal production and trade using archaeological evidence to highlight the existence of a complex sociopolitical environment rich in regional technological traditions well before major political and economic interaction with Syro-Mesopotamia. We stress two conclusions: first, the development of indigenous metal production institutions was linked to localized social arrangements in Anatolia. Second, the development of a hierarchy of production sites occurred to mitigate uncertainty in access to necessary metal resources.