El sistema de la provincia metalúrgica circumpóntica

Abstract

The Circumpontic metallurgical province represented a system of centres of production of copper, arsenical bronzes and tin bronze artefacts of similar morphology, all closely interrelated. This wide system undoubtedly played a central role in the Old World during more than a millenium and a half (from the middle of the fourth millenium to the beginning of the second millenium B.C.) embracing the cultures of Early and Middle Bronze Ages in the territory of southern half of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor and Balkan-Carpathian region. The problem of morphology and the technology of production is studied in the framework of wide relations, the dynamics of development of different cultural and productive systems, the province's rather rapid formation and its fortuitous destruction. Furthermore issues are examined regarding the functional character of metallurgical production inside the boundaries of the province and the obvious decay of the metallurgy in Asia Minor and Near East from the middle of the second millenium B.C.