The Historical Development of Metallurgy

Abstract

The utilization of metals and the development of metallurgy has been an important societal progress for mankind: the introduction of metallurgy was fundamental to the evolution of complex and almost hierarchical society systems. The evaluation of the real impact of metallurgy on ancient societies has been quite an intellectual challenge to archaeologists and historians without substantial data of metallurgical processes and innovations, properties of metals and alloys, information about mines and the distribution of raw material.