New Thoughts on the Origins of Iron Smelting in Anatolia

TOKYO, JAPAN—The Asahi Shimbun reports that a small lump of iron processed sometime between 2500 and 2250 B.C. may have been brought to Anatolia’s Kaman Kalehoyuk site from a distant land. Analysis conducted by Takafumi Matsui of the University of Tokyo indicates that the sample was not obtained from a meteor, as was some early iron, but was produced by the application of fire to iron ore. The composition of the lead in the sample, however, does not match that of iron ore found in the region. Similar lumps were found above a three-foot layer of scorched soil at the site. Traces of wood and mud buildings, which are unlike the sun-dried brick structures usually built in the region during this time period, were found on top of the scorched soil. “It shows that an ancient city that existed there was destroyed on a large scale, and then a group of people came to the area,” said Sachihiro Omura of the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology. He thinks these people may have brought iron-making technologies to Anatolia with them. “By making further comparisons with iron ore of other regions, we’d like to figure out where iron-making originated and clarify the key role played by Anatolia in the arrival of the Iron Age,” he explained. For more on archaeology in Anatolia, go to “Seals of Approval.”