The central part of the western Anatolian coast-known in historical times as Ionia-played a vital role in sociocultural and economic connectivity between Anatolia, the Aegean, and the Greek mainland during the second and first millennia B.C.E. Although a significant degree of cultural interaction between these regions can be documented by, for example, architecture, stylistic and technological aspects of sculptural and ceramic production, it is clear that certain categories of commodities that contributed to the increased connectivity have rarely been analyzed in detail.
This contribution, therefore, maps out one class that played a crucial role in the economic interaction between Ionia and its eastern and western neighbors: metallurgy.