Overview

Iron and the Iron Age presents a comprehensive account of the adoption of ironworking in Europe and Western Asia. The study is mainly based on archaeological evidence, but the early introduction of iron in the Near East also takes account of the written sources. After the fundamental innovation of iron production by smelting iron ores, iron use spread at an ever-increasing rate between the 12th and 9th centuries BC – eventually reaching a vast area between the Atlantic coast in the west and the North China Plain in the east. The book mainly concentrates on the adoption of iron in the Near East and southern Europe, but also includes discussions of early ironworking in Central Europe, the North Pontic steppe and the regions north and south of the Caucasus. The changing conceptualization of bronze and iron is another theme which receives detailed attention. In the final part of the book, the study turns to the concept of an ‘Iron Age’, and the fundamental culture-historical disjunctions and transformations which can be observed in many regions at the time of the introduction of iron.

Full Product Details

Author:   Christopher Pare
Publisher:   Archaeopress
Imprint:   Archaeopress Archaeology
Weight:   1.726kg
ISBN:  

9781805830009

ISBN 10:   1805830007
Pages:   368
Publication Date:   01 May 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Introduction Iron and the production process The archaeological sources: problems and potential Technological innovation and social context Notes on the structure of the book   Chapter 2. The Near East Evidence from textual sources during the 2nd millennium BC Earlier archaeological evidence (ca. 20th – 13th century BC) Later archaeological evidence (ca. 13th – 10th century BC) Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 3. Cyprus Iron in Late Cypriot IIIA Iron in Late Cypriot IIIB Iron in Cypro-Geometric I Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 4. The Aegean Iron before 1200 BC The 12th and the first half of the 11th century BC The second half of the 11th and the early 10th century BC The 10th century BC Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 5. The eastern Balkan Peninsula Knobbed, fluted and stamped pottery Selected early iron artefacts Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 6. The area north of the Black Sea The Bilozerka culture The Hordiivka cemetery Cultures between the Dnister and the Carpathians The Chernoles and Bondarikha cultures of the forest steppe Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 7. The Caucasus South of the Caucasus North of the Caucasus   Chapter 8. The central and western Balkan Peninsula Albania, Dalmatia and Istria Slovenia Bosnia-Hercegovina and central and northern Croatia The central Balkans Bronze and iron in hoard depositions Bronze and iron in the manufacture of swords, dirks and daggers Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 9. The Carpathian Basin and the wider European context of the introduction of iron Notes on early iron in Transylvania and the Banat The earliest iron in the Carpathian Basin and the area north of the Alps Iron in the late Urnfield period: utilitarian implements and status symbols Hoard deposition in the Carpathian Basin and the Bronze/Iron transition Crisis and system collapse in the Carpathian Basin The demise of the Standard Bronze value system Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 10. Italy Southern Italy Sicily Sardinia Central Italy Northern Italy Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 11. The Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands The Villena Treasure Phoenician traders and the first colonial foundations The introduction of iron in Portugal The introduction of iron in Spain Discussion and conclusions   Chapter 12. Conclusions Frequently occurring forms of artefacts during the early stages of the adoption of iron Summary of the main trends in the introduction of iron Iron and the Iron Age Concluding remarks and perspectives for future research References

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Author Information

Christopher Pare studied Prehistoric Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh, then conducted his doctoral research on Wagons and wagon-graves of the Early Iron Age in Central Europe at the University of Oxford. After working in the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum in Mainz and at the University of Birmingham, he transferred to the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz as Professor of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology. Apart from his theoretical work, the author has directed fieldwork in England, Germany, Italy and Romania.

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