Abstract
Iron is one of the most significant metal commodities and its discovery had a decisive impact on the development of human history. From the first millennium BC on, iron virtually permeated all spheres of ancient life, either as a material for weapons and tools or as a currency.
The introduction of the iron technology in Greece in the Early Iron Age has traditionally been seen as coming from eastern Anatolia through Cyprus and Crete, whereas Ionia does not appear in these assumptions. This interpretation, however, neglects the significance of this region as a historical bridge between the Anatolia and the Aegean, even though according to the written sources, the Greeks - and the Ionians in particular (e.g.
Glaucus of Chios) - were well conscious of the highly developed metallurgy of the neighbouring regions of Phrygia and Lydia. It is therefore the main aim of this paper to revisit the traditional view on the spread of the knowledge of iron technology based on new findings from Ionia.
Moreover, using this evidence the further development of this technological knowledge in the Aegean, including technical skills as well as specific social context, will be analysed in more detail to provide fresh insights into the discussion, whether the iron technology was fully developed at the end of the geometric period or there were further innovations in the course of archaic period.