Dr. Nathaniel Erb-Satullo — a Visiting Fellow in Archaeological Science at Cranfield University His recent, paradigm shifting research on a 3000-year-old copper smelting site has the potential to completely reshape our understanding of the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. Excavated largely during the Soviet period, this ancient site provides important clues on the ways iron was produced and utilized. Iron would have an equally formative role in making the progress of the industrial revolution.
The transition into the Iron Age was a watershed in historical development. It gave rise to some of history’s greatest armies that wielded iron, such as Assyria and Rome. This era set the stage for significant technological advancements, including the development of railroads and steel-frame buildings during the Industrial Revolution. Iron’s central role in these transformations notwithstanding, its beginnings have long been difficult to pin down for a number of reasons.
Challenges in Iron Research
Finding the source of iron has been an elusive challenge for scientists. Historians and archaeologists are left with a tantalizing, multifaceted conundrum. The absence of written documentation and iron’s natural propensity to corrode and degrade over the years further complicates this hurdle. Archaeological research on iron production sites is scarce. This absence of any precise data makes it almost impossible to know how and when iron was first used.
Iron in the centuries that followed became the defining metal of industrialization. Yet, it was not a new invention even in the Iron Age. We have strong evidence that iron artifacts were being manufactured even back in the Bronze Age. Getting a better grasp on the processes behind this shared transition from copper to iron production is a vital focus of continuing research.
Developing foundational knowledge, Dr. Erb-Satullo’s research traced a superfund site where copper smelters had practiced with ores that weren’t rich in iron. During archeological excavations in the 1950s, massive piles of hematite—a mineral made up of crystalline iron—were found along with leftover slag from production. These discoveries raised all manner of interesting questions about the processes and materials employed by ancient smelters. They suggest a more complex bi-directional relationship between copper and iron, greater than we once understood.
New Discoveries from Old Maps
Dr. Erb-Satullo was tireless in her pursuit of the smelting site. She relied on hand-drawn maps published in a 1964 book to locate its original position with precision. This selective process of moving allowed time for a more intensive study of the objects recovered, particularly from previous excavations. Dr. Erb-Satullo employed cutting edge technology, most notably a scanning electron microscope, to analyze the samples. She studied their chemistry, mineralogy and microstructure, compiling crucial information from the structure at the site.
The analysis demonstrated that ancient copper smelters used sparkly hematite as a flux while producing copper. This finding is remarkable. It demonstrates that, even within the era of copper production, people were cognizant of and possibly utilizing iron-rich materials. Hematite discovered in a copper smelting site reveals equally riveting potential. It hints at the fact that these two metals interacted in truly fascinating ways during this transitional era in human history.
Implications for Understanding Metal Production
Dr. Erb-Satullo’s research has shown us those gaps. It further documents the ways societies might have shifted priorities away from copper production to begin producing iron. The advent of iron technology set the stage for monumental developments in warfare, architecture and transportation. Armies that commanded iron weapons often met with overwhelming success against their opponents. This revolution in communication and transportation radically changed the balance of power throughout areas such as Assyria and Rome.
Additionally, the eventual transition to iron made possible many of the engineering and infrastructure innovations that were truly astounding for their time. The steel made during this era was critical. Most importantly, it set the stage for the railroads and steel-frame buildings that would dazzle the Industrial Revolution centuries later.
Dr. Erb-Satullo’s work sheds light on this important trend. It gives us insight into how these ancient societies were probably doing their metalworking and utilizing their resources. It allows for a different study of early metallurgical traditions and the ways they influenced emerging social stratifications.