What does current evidence reveal about the introduction of iron in Europe and Western Asia, and how should the concept of the ‘Iron Age’ be understood in light of this evidence? These questions are addressed within a broader context in the book under review. In the opening chapter, Christopher Pare positions the volume as both a synthesis of current evidence and a methodological reflection on technological change and periodisation. Ironworking is presented as a highly complex craft requiring advanced knowledge of smelting and blacksmithing techniques, particularly carburisation and heat treatment; without such expertise, early iron offered no clear technical advantage over bronze. The author then highlights significant archaeological challenges—such as corrosion, dating difficulties and uneven regional data—as central to his interpretation. Rejecting technological determinism, Pare views the adoption of the use of iron as a socially embedded innovation driven by cultural values and exchange networks. He situates this shift within the systemic disruptions and social transformations of 1200–800 BC, establishing a comparative framework for the regional analyses that follow.

The volume is structured into 10 substantive chapters, each devoted to a regional case study from across Europe and Western Asia. Following the introductory discussion, Chapter 2 examines the Near East, followed by focused studies of Cyprus (Chapter 3) and the Aegean (Chapter 4). Subsequent chapters address the eastern Balkan Peninsula (Chapter 5), the northern Black Sea region (Chapter 6) and the Caucasus (Chapter 7). The survey then moves westward to the central and western Balkans (Chapter 8), the Carpathian Basin and Central Europe (Chapter 9), Italy (Chapter 10) and finally the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands (Chapter 11).

Each chapter combines a critical discussion of the archaeological record with the presentation of key early finds; Chapter 2 opens with a controversial debate on iron objects mentioned in cuneiform tablets—none of which have been archaeologically confirmed (cf. pp.11–25). All regional analyses are supplemented by illustrations of significant artefacts, tables, distribution maps and detailed object lists appended at the end of the chapters. This systematic structure underpins the book’s broader analytical framework and provides a consistent empirical foundation for tracing the introduction and development of ironworking across different cultural and geographical contexts.

A particular strength of the volume lies in its cross-regional perspective, especially in its analysis of how early iron was appropriated, adapted and integrated into existing material practices. The early horizons of iron use at the end of the Late Bronze Age in West Asia are characterised by rings and knives (pp.46–48)—objects that appear somewhat later in Cyprus and the Aegean. There, they are associated both with local production and with imports, thereby revealing the maritime exchange networks that connected these regions, a development conceptualised through the notion of “Mediterraneanization” (cf. pp.297–301). The networks associated with this term encompassed the northern Black Sea and the central Mediterranean, eventually reaching the Iberian Peninsula as a result of Phoenician expansion.

Particularly noteworthy are the recurring patterns of bimetallic objects, made from bronze or iron, that emerge across various regions during the initial phases of iron adoption, most prominently in edged implements such as knives (e.g. p.131 fig. 27; p.135 fig. 29; p.234 fig. 58, 3; p.239 fig. 59). In light of these patterns, the question has already been raised in previous publications as to whether it might even be appropriate to speak of a ‘Bimetallicum’ Age (e.g. Botschkarjow & Kaschuba Reference Botschkarjow, Kaschuba, Alexejew, Nawroth, Gass and Piotrowskij2020: 64).

For the region between the Carpathian Basin and the Atlantic Ocean, Pare proposes a five-stage model: the spread of the Stamped Pottery complex from Thrace and with it ironworking; the decline of the bronze-based Fluted Ware/Gáva sphere; the end of utilitarian bronze hoards and bronze’s ritual significance; the systemic collapse in the Carpathian Basin around 900 BC with socioeconomic reorientation and broader iron use; and, around 800 BC, the disappearance of the ‘Standard Bronze’ value system across the Urnfield and Atlantic zones (p.221f.). Overall, the shift from bronze to iron appears not merely as a technological change, but as part of far-reaching economic, social and communicative transformations. Along the Danube, a process of reorientation unfolded in waves, in which the adoption of iron and the devaluation of bronze marked a genuine historical upheaval rather than a purely archaeological periodisation.

Finally, Chapter 12 provides a detailed summary and synthesis of the findings. It includes data on ring and knife horizons across the various regions of the study area, as well as on regions where iron was used as a decorative element (e.g. inlays). In addition, it maps iron objects dating between 1200 and 900 BC from the Dnipro (Ukraine) to the Atlantic (Portugal), and charts the spread of iron across Eurasia, complemented by an excursus on East Asia (pp.282–84).

From Pare’s analysis, we learn that the beginning of the ‘Iron Age’, in a cultural-historical sense, should not be understood as a purely technological watershed. Rather, it represents a supra-regional phase of profound social and political transformations that expanded between c. 1200 and 800 BC, following a clear east–west trajectory. In this context, the introduction of iron and the earliest iron objects appear more as accompanying developments than as the primary driving forces. This is illustrated, for example, by the case of Italy, where “the adoption of iron does not define the start of the Early Iron Age” (p.243).

Taken as a whole, the volume stands out as a highly detailed and comprehensive study that systematically brings together the current state of research on the introduction of iron in various regions and possesses a distinct handbook character, making it an indispensable reference work for students and researchers alike. With his critical analysis, Pare offers a diachronic perspective on both technological and social developments, illuminating the transformation from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age and tracing the spread of iron as an innovation. By combining meticulously assembled empirical data with theoretical reflection, this work is a fundamental study that will undoubtedly shape discussions on the establishment of iron and the beginnings of the Iron Age(s) in Europe and West Asia for years to come.