28th Annual Student Research Conference
Understanding the Dynamic Bronze Age - Iron Age Transition in Ancient Greece
Austin H. Henke
Dr. Bridget Thomas and Dr. Clifton Kreps, Faculty Mentors
The development and spread of ironworking technology during the late Bronze Age profoundly influenced life in Ancient Greece. Following the Three-Age System established by Thomsen, this shift is traditionally depicted as a distinct Bronze Age - Iron Age transition, in which iron replaced bronze as the primary material for making weapons, tools, and other objects. While useful for understanding many archeological trends, this simplified view does not account for the many uses of iron before the advent of the Iron Age, or the many uses of bronze after the end of the Bronze Age. I plan to connect both ancient and modern metallurgy with the economic, political, geographical, and cultural conditions present in the Eastern Mediterranean during this transformational period. This interdisciplinary project seeks to better understand the usage of these metals in Ancient Greece, and why iron is thought to have replaced bronze almost entirely during this time.
Keywords: history, chemistry, materials science, metallurgy, ancient technology, archeology, international trade, Greek mythology
Topic(s):Classics
Greek
Chemistry
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 118-1
Location: OP 2117
Time: 8:00