THE RECORD
What changed
Across Southwest Asia and neighbouring regions, tin bronze changed the production of weapons, tools and ornaments, spreading at different times and in different forms.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Alloy analysis, moulds, crucibles, mines and shipwreck cargoes trace the movement of raw materials and metallurgical knowledge.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Bronze was not one artisan's invention but a system connecting distant resources and specialists. Control of its production and distribution could reinforce power.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
The Bronze Age was not a universal synchronized stage. Stone and copper persisted, and bronze had different social effects across regions.