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The expansion of copper-base metallurgy in the mainland of Eurasia began in the Near East and ended in Southeast Asia. The recognition of this Southeast Asian metallurgical province followed in the wake of French colonial occupation of Cambodia and Laos in the nineteenth century. Subsequently, most research has concentrated in Thailand, beginning in the 1960s. A sound chronology is the prerequisite to identifying both the origins of the Bronze Age, and the social impact that metallurgy may have had on society. This article presents the revolutionary results of excavations at the site of Ban Non Wat in northeast Thailand within the broader cultural context of Southeast Asian prehistory, concluding that the adoption of copper-base metallurgy from the eleventh century BC coincided with the rise of wealthy social aggrandizers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

More iron objects have been found in East Yorkshire than in any other part of Iron Age Britain of comparable size, largely in the burials of the Arras Culture, named after the excavations at Arras near Market Weighton (1815-17). The region also contains one of Britain's largest prehistoric iron production centres, contemporary with the Arras Culture. This article aims to contribute to re-establishing early iron production and consumption, and its social and economic significance in the archaeological mainstream, and demonstrate the importance of understanding ironworking for the Iron Age landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ljubljansko barje is a wet plain which lies to the south-west of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In archaeology, it is primarily known for the remains of prehistoric pile-dwellings, which appeared in this region for the first time in the 5th millennium (46th century). The later settling cycles took place in the 4th millennium (between the 37th and 32nd century), 3rd millennium (between the 28th and 24th century), in the late 3rd millennium and in the first half of the 2nd millennium B.C. The relatively numerous finds of moulds, melting pots and other metalworking utensils - both those recently discovered and those that have already been presented - indicate that the pile-dwelling settlements of Ljubljansko barje were closely connected to the metalworking activity. The oldest find of this kind has been dated to the 36th century B.C. and it was discovered on the site of Hočevarica near Verd. The metal processing demanded a great deal of knowledge and skill. It had magical implications. For this reason it presented a constant threat for settlements and people. It seems that metal workers held a very special position in the society, which was also reflected in the exposed location of their workshops. In Ljubljansko barje, their position is narrowly located in the area of three pile-dwelling settlements from the 4th and 3rd millennium B.C.: Maharski prekop, Stare gmajne and Založnica. Now for the first time, on the basis of the archaeological sources, in Ljubljansko barje we can talk about the division of labour and appearance of a social elite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on iron production in the Northern areas of Norway during the prehistoric era. It states that despite many archeologists that work in Northern Norway being able find iron production in the area, reports on iron production before 1994 can only be regarded as possible indicators as the amount of recovered slag is modest and a furnace was never found. It adds that the book "Nord-Norges bosetningshistorie" stresses Iron Age similarities in Northern and Southern Norway.