
doi: 10.5772/32687
The history of metals and metallurgy is rooted in the history of civilizations as the "Archaeometallurgy" and has been a subject of great interest for over a century. Due to the relatively good preservation of metallic goods and the modern values related to metals, metal artefact typologies often served as the very basis for prehistoric sequences during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In many ways, it was V. Gordon Childe who placed metallurgical technology at the front, arguing as he did for the roles of "itinerant metal smiths" and bronze production in the rise of social elites and complex societies. Childe was also one of the first to systematically argue for the transmission of metallurgy from the Near East to the Eurasia (Thornton & Roberts, 2009). On the other hand, many of the artefacts which excavated, as well as some of the metallurgical talent being practiced are standing examples that depict the superior metallurgical skills used by human. Archaeometallurgical investigations can provide evidence about both the nature and level of mining, smelting and metalworking trades, and support understanding about structural and technical evidences. Such evidence can be essential in understanding the economy of a settlement, the nature of the industry and craft, the technological capabilities of its craftsmen as well as their cultural relations. In order to achieve such data, it is obvious that archaeometallurgical discipline has considered at each stage of archaeological and historical investigations in the field of ancient metal working.
| citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 20 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
