The transition from the so-called ‘Bronze Age’ to the ‘Iron Age’ was a major turning point for the civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean and the Near East. It signaled the reorganization of political territories, the rise of new group identities, and the arrival of a new and consequential material: iron. The talk will address what we understand today about the earliest iron in the region, its influence on local cultures, and how researchers use unique approaches in archaeological science to reveal crucial information about the complex pyro-technologies of the past.

This is a FREE event, but pre-registration is required. Click here to register.

About the Speaker: Vanessa Workman is the Teaching Specialist in Archaeometallurgy at the Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials (CAAM) at the University of Pennsylvania Museum and a lecturer in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. Her research interests converge at the micro-analysis of materials produced in the past and the social and economic significance of craft production industries to the economies of the eastern Mediterranean and Near East.