Production and Mortuary Consumption of Copper-Base Materials at Susa in the Early to Middle Bronze Age Transition

Abstract At the critical junction of Early and Middle Bronze Ages, marked by fall Ur iii polity, city Susa in today’s southwest Iran left Mesopotamian control became lowland seat Shimashki then Sukkalmah dynasts Zagros mountains, who elevated Elam as a significant power on dynamic early Age Near Eastern geopolitical stage. This transition ushered new political, economic, social conditions, which this paper argues can be detected Susa’s mortuary record, particularly consumption copper-base materials. A comparison burial assemblages evidence for metallurgy industry before after demonstrates that while objects had already played role under rule, their deployment structuring Susian society expanded with to eastern rule more widespread changes economic production trade.