Polykmetos sideros: On Iron in Ancient Greece

The study of the ironsmith’s craft and its productive process has attracted little interest in the context of Ancient Greece. Although many pioneering studies have been conducted, both on literary evidence and limited archaeological data, the rest remain practically unknown. The earliest iron objects in the Aegean appear in the 2nd millennium, but the beginnings of this metallurgical production raise many questions, both in terms of chronology and of the material and cultural conditions of his development. Numerous regions across the Aegean are rich in raw materials, but the presence of archaeometallurgical remains suggests two pioneering areas: firstly the northern Aegean, especially Thasos, and secondly the Peloponnese (Laconia, Argolid, etc.). The major role of Sparta seems to be confirmed by the existing archaeometallurgical studies, but the question of exchanges in raw materials remains crucial. We hope that our concise synopsis, on the basis of the existing data, will stimulate the development of further research.