Early Iron in Western Anatolia: Analysis of Two Early Iron Age Knives From Asarlık in Caria

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of archaeological and metallographic analysis of two iron knives from Asarlık in southwestern Anatolia, dated to the Protogeometric period (ca 1050‐900 bce ). The combination of analytical methods demonstrated that the objects were forged from different materials, low‐carbon iron and heterogeneous steel, as a result of differential sourcing of semi‐finished products rather than through deliberate action during forging. This conclusion fits the increasing awareness that the mastering of iron at the dawn of the Early Iron Age combined known, inherited techniques and experimentation, suggesting a gradual learning that eventually led to slow improvement in ironworking in a number of Mediterranean regions.