The Archaeology Of The Transition: From Bronze To Iron

One of the most significant material transformations accompanying the Bronze Age Collapse was the widespread adoption of iron technology — giving its name to the period that followed, the Iron Age.

Bronze had been the dominant metal technology of the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds for roughly two thousand years.

Its production required the combination of copper and tin, which was a significant advantage in strategic terms — whoever controlled the copper and tin trade routes controlled the production of weapons and tools.

This gave Bronze Age states a strong interest in maintaining the trade networks that brought these raw materials together.