Commodities in Transition: How Early Iron Adoption Destabilized Bronze Age Trade Networks

Fraser Rieche

No 48bgz_v1, OSF Preprints from Center for Open Science

Abstract: Abstract The Late Bronze Age collapse (~1200 BCE) is traditionally attributed to war, famine, migration, and natural disasters. This paper proposes that an overlooked economic factor—the gradual adoption of iron—contributed materially to systemic fragility. Although initially rare and limited to prestige contexts, iron began subtly displacing bronze in Mediterranean markets. This commodity substitution weakened the intricate trade networks critical to Bronze Age economies, creating economic vulnerabilities that amplified broader societal collapse. By examining archaeological, textual, and metallurgical evidence, this paper suggests that early shifts in material economies played a more pivotal role than previously recognized.

Date: 2025-04-28
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:osfxxx:48bgz_v1

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/48bgz_v1

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