Section: Military use of Metals
Variable: Copper (All coded records)
The absence or presence of copper as a military technology used in warfare.  
Copper
#  Polity  Coded Value Tags Year(s) Edit Desc
1 Orokaiva - Colonial absent Confident Expert -
-
2 Umayyad Caliphate absent Confident Expert -
-
3 Konya Plain - Ceramic Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
Technology not found in archaeological evidence until much later. Beads and tools carved from copper have been found but no weapons or smelting at this time [1]

[1]: https://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/iss/kap_a/advanced/ta_1_2c.html


4 Konya Plain - Early Chalcolithic absent Confident Expert -
Technology not found in archaeological evidence until much later. Beads and tools carved from copper have been found but no weapons or smelting at this time [1]

[1]: https://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/iss/kap_a/advanced/ta_1_2c.html


5 Shuar - Ecuadorian absent Confident Expert -
[NB: Military use of copper was documented several centuries earlier but no mention of this was found in the sources concerning the Ecuadorian time period. See: "Salinas, writing in 1571 (second letter), says that the Indians in the vicinity of Santiago have copper axes, ( ) shields made of tapir skin and of wood, and spear throwers." [1]

[1]: Stirling, Matthew Williams. 1938. “Historical And Ethnographical Material On The Jivaro Indians.”, 78-79


6 Badarian absent Confident Expert -
Copper metallurgy from 2500 BCE. [1]

[1]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.


7 Egypt - Dynasty I absent Confident Expert -
Copper metallurgy from 2500 BCE. [1]

[1]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.


8 Egypt - Dynasty II absent Confident Expert -
Copper metallurgy from 2500 BCE. [1]

[1]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.


9 Pre-Ceramic Period absent Confident Expert -
Technology not found in archaeological evidence until much later
10 Sakha - Late absent Inferred Expert -
Copper was worked but no mention was found of its use in for military purposes, e.g.: "On the other hand, the majority of Yakut smiths are excellent copper and silver-workers. Besides small objects, like buckles, rings, earrings, crosses, seals, chains, pendants, and all the complicated decorations which they cleanly and delicately cast from both these metals, many cast and forge from copper fragments large kettles holding from ten to twelve vedros, and pot-belliedtea kettles weighing several pounds. I even wrote down a legend in the Namsk Ulus which mentions that one of the bells of the Namsk Uprava church was cast by a Yakut (Namsk Ulus, 1891). Yakut skill in casting is certainly equal to and, I think, even surpasses their knowledge of the smith’s art. [1] "

[1]: Sieroszewski, Wacław. 1993. “Yakut: An Experiment In Ethnographic Research.”, 624


11 Sakha - Early absent Inferred Expert -
Copper was worked but no mention was found of its use for military purposes: "On the other hand, the majority of Yakut smiths are excellent copper and silver-workers. Besides small objects, like buckles, rings, earrings, crosses, seals, chains, pendants, and all the complicated decorations which they cleanly and delicately cast from both these metals, many cast and forge from copper fragments large kettles holding from ten to twelve vedros, and pot-belliedtea kettles weighing several pounds. I even wrote down a legend in the Namsk Ulus which mentions that one of the bells of the Namsk Uprava church was cast by a Yakut (Namsk Ulus, 1891). Yakut skill in casting is certainly equal to and, I think, even surpasses their knowledge of the smith’s art.’ [1]

[1]: Sieroszewski, Wacław. 1993. “Yakut: An Experiment In Ethnographic Research.”, 624


12 Oaxaca - Tierras Largas absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


13 Japan - Middle Jomon absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking began in the Yayoi period [1] .

[1]: (Mizoguchi 2013, 140)


14 Late Roman Republic absent Confident Expert -
-
15 Naqada I absent Confident Expert -
Copper metallurgy from 2500 BCE. [1] Spearheads and arrowheads initially flintstone and bone, later replaced by bronze. [2]

[1]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.

[2]: (Gnirs 2001)


16 Naqada II absent Confident Expert -
Copper metallurgy from 2500 BCE. [1] Spearheads and arrowheads initially flintstone and bone, later replaced by bronze. [2]

[1]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.

[2]: (Gnirs 2001)


17 Egypt - Dynasty 0 absent Confident Expert -
Copper metallurgy from 2500 BCE. [1] Spearheads and arrowheads initially flintstone and bone, later replaced by bronze. [2]

[1]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.

[2]: (Gnirs 2001)


18 Akan - Pre-Ashanti absent Inferred Expert -
Europeans traded brass and iron for gold and ivory: "Undaunted by the prohibition of the King of England, these gallant adventurers embarked, and pressing forward, reached Cape Verde on the 5th March, 1482. Bearing up to Rio de Festos on the 8th April, the French ships, at sight of them, fled. At the river St. Andras two big Portuguese warships fired at them, but by superior and skilful seamanship they cleverly slipped between them and Cape Three Points (Atinkin). They eventually defeated the Portuguese near Cape Coast Castle (Ogua), “to the no small joy of the negroes, as well as the security of themselves.” They were then invited to Mowre, the best trading town. Here for their pewter, brass, and iron they carried away two hundred and sixty-seven elephants’ teeth, weighing two thousand seven hundred and fifty-eight pounds, and a very large quantity of gold dust and nuggets; and so profitable was the venture, that, after paying half their profits to the duke their patron, they were able within three years to buy their traffic with Portugal and their peace with England, besides putting up an hundred thousand pounds apiece in their purses." [1] Akan rulers and fighters started to acquire firearms and wrap them in brass wire at some point in the colonial period: "Gun barrels were wrapped with brass wire or tightly bound cloth to minimise the risk of bursting, a perpetual problem with ill-maintained poor-quality firearms, charged or overcharged with unreliable gunpowder. The addition of golden ‘cockle’ shells was less obviously functional. The way such shells came to adorn guns and ammunition belts again indicates how the exotic was assimilated into Akan culture." [2] It remains to be confirmed when this process started. According to this Wikipedia article, firearms were not in widespread use before the Ashanti period: ’The Ashanti became familiar with firearms in the 18th century, and by the 19th century, the bulk of their best troops were armed with a variety of guns, such as the standard European trade muskets, 6 feet in length, so-called "Long Dane".’ [3] We have provisionally assumed that iron would have been preferred to copper in the construction of spear-heads etc. This is open to re-evaluation.

[1]: Sarbah, John Mensah 1968. “Fanti National Constitution: A Short Treatise On The Constitution And Government Of The Fanti, Asanti, And Other Akan Tribes Of West Africa Together With A Brief Account Of The Discovery Of The Gold Coast By Portuguese Navigators, A Short Narration Of Early English Voyages, And A Study Of The Rise Of British Gold Coast Jurisdiction, Etc., Etc.”, 63

[2]: McLeod, M. D. (Malcolm D.) 1981. “Asante”, 102

[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_military_systems_(1800%E2%80%931900)#The_Ashanti_military_system


19 Oaxaca - San Jose absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


20 Monte Alban Late I absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


21 Oaxaca - Rosario absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


22 Hawaii II absent Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: Kirch, P. V. 2010. How Chiefs Became Kings: Divine Kingship and the Rise of Archaic States in Ancient Hawai’i. Berkeley: University of California Press.


23 Proto-Haudenosaunee Confederacy absent Confident Expert -
Ornaments were usually made from bones and shells, and stonework was present in this period. Weapons were made of stone, wood, and bone. Not till after contact with Europeans and trade with them did Iroquois begin to use metals heavily in their weapons and ornaments. [1] [2] [3] [4]

[1]: (Hasenstab 2001: 453) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/EQZYAI2R.

[2]: (Snow 1996: 36) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TQ4KR3AE.

[3]: (Beauchamp 1968: 16) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KJQLGMR6

[4]: Personal Communication with Peter Peregrine 2019.


24 Chuuk - Early Truk absent Inferred Expert -
LeBar claims early evidence for the use of iron and steel tools acquired through trade with other islands: ’It appears that during this early period, and for some time thereafter, the Trukese were in contact with Guam and other islands in the Marianas due to the fact that atoll islanders to the west of Truk regularly voyaged to Guam and back, taking with them items for trade in return for which they brought back iron and steel implements. The Trukese were thus in possession of iron tools at a very early date.’ [1] However, it isn’t clear if this metal was used in warfare.

[1]: LeBar, Frank M. {nd}-/. “Material Culture Of Truk", 19


25 Chuuk - Late Truk absent Inferred Expert -
LeBar claims early evidence for the use of iron and steel tools acquired through trade with other islands: ’It appears that during this early period, and for some time thereafter, the Trukese were in contact with Guam and other islands in the Marianas due to the fact that atoll islanders to the west of Truk regularly voyaged to Guam and back, taking with them items for trade in return for which they brought back iron and steel implements. The Trukese were thus in possession of iron tools at a very early date.’ [1] However, it isn’t clear if this metal was used in warfare.

[1]: LeBar, Frank M. {nd}-/. “Material Culture Of Truk", 19


26 Egypt - Tulunid-Ikhshidid Period absent Confident Expert -
-
27 Yangshao absent Confident Expert -
Battles were fought with stone and wood in the Neolithic period (5500-3000 BC) [1]

[1]: (Sawyer 2012, 97)


28 Late A'chik absent Confident Expert -
-
29 Oneota absent Confident Expert -
Not mentioned by sources; it seems most Oneota technology derived from wood and stone [1] .

[1]: Illinois State Museum, Late Prehistoric, Technology: Weapons (2000), http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/nat_amer/pre/htmls/lp_weapons.html


30 Neolithic Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
31 Monte Alban III absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


32 Early Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Metals were another story. Throughout all these times [before 500 BCE], and even much later, they were essentially unused in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan’s predecessors [...] and Teotihuacan itself used only stone tools". [1]

[1]: (Cowgill 2015: 40) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JRFZPUXU.


33 Toltecs absent Confident Expert -
Tula has yielded no metal of any kind, neither copper nor gold. [1]

[1]: (Coe 1994: 142) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/5DJ2S5IF.


34 Japan - Incipient Jomon absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking began in the Yayoi period [1] .

[1]: (Mizoguchi 2013, 140)


35 Japan - Early Jomon absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking began in the Yayoi period [1] .

[1]: (Mizoguchi 2013, 140)


36 Abbasid Caliphate I absent Inferred Expert -
-
37 Abbasid Caliphate II absent Confident Expert -
-
38 Southern Mesopotamia Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: pers. comm., Selin Nugent 2019


39 Kingdom of Hawaii - Kamehameha Period absent Confident Expert -
[1] However, need to look into what metal military technologies they traded from Europeans.

[1]: Kirch, P. V. 2010. How Chiefs Became Kings: Divine Kingship and the Rise of Archaic States in Ancient Hawai’i. Berkeley: University of California Press.


40 Susiana - Muhammad Jaffar absent Confident Expert -
Technology not found in archaeological evidence until much later
41 Konya Plain - Early Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
Technology not found in archaeological evidence until much later. Beads and tools carved from copper have been found but no weapons or smelting at this time [1]

[1]: https://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/iss/kap_a/advanced/ta_1_2c.html


42 Formative Period absent Confident Expert -
Technology not found in archaeological evidence until much later
43 Middle Postclassic Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Metals were another story. Throughout all these times [before 500 BCE], and even much later, they were essentially unused in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan’s predecessors [...] and Teotihuacan itself used only stone tools". [1]

[1]: (Cowgill 2015: 40) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JRFZPUXU.


44 Hawaii I absent Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: Kirch, P. V. 2010. How Chiefs Became Kings: Divine Kingship and the Rise of Archaic States in Ancient Hawai’i. Berkeley: University of California Press.


45 Hawaii III absent Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: Kirch, P. V. 2010. How Chiefs Became Kings: Divine Kingship and the Rise of Archaic States in Ancient Hawai’i. Berkeley: University of California Press.


46 Iban - Pre-Brooke absent Inferred Expert -
Note: Some of the equipment listed here may be ’talismanic’ rather than ’practical’ in the conventional sense of the term. Accordingly, some codes may be in need of reconsideration. In the colonial period, the Iban were in contact with copper coins, but no weaponry is mentioned: "In his quarterly report, the Resident for the Lower Rejang described the Iban’s hoarding of copper coinage." [1] We have therefore assumed that copper was absent from Iban military technology prior to Brooke Raj rule as well.

[1]: Sutlive 1973, 377


47 Iban - Brooke Raj and Colonial absent Inferred Expert -
(No mention of military use, only as currency: "In his quarterly report, the Resident for the Lower Rejang described the Iban’s hoarding of copper coinage." [1] )

[1]: Sutlive 1973, 377


48 Java - Buni Culture absent Confident Expert 400 BCE 300 BCE
Island South East Asia: ’Bronze and iron metallurgy appear to have arrived together, perhaps after 300 BC’. [1]

[1]: (Bellwood 2004, 36) Bellwood, Peter. The origins and dispersals of agricultural communities in Southeast Asia. Glover, Ian. Bellwood, Peter. eds. 2004. Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History. RoutledgeCurzon. London.


49 Early Illinois Confederation absent Confident Expert -
"The Illinois made tools and utensils out of many different materials obtained from nature, including wood, bone, antler, shell, and stone." [1]

[1]: Illinois State Museum, The Illinois, Technology: Tools and Utensils (2000), http://www.museum.state.il.us/muslink/nat_amer/post/htmls/te_tools.html


50 Initial Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Metals were another story. Throughout all these times [before 500 BCE], and even much later, they were essentially unused in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan’s predecessors [...] and Teotihuacan itself used only stone tools". [1]

[1]: (Cowgill 2015: 40) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JRFZPUXU.


51 Konya Plain - Late Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
Technology not found in archaeological evidence until much later. Beads and tools carved from copper have been found but no weapons or smelting at this time [1]

[1]: https://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/iss/kap_a/advanced/ta_1_2c.html


52 Terminal Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
The first evidence for the introduction of indigenously produced (copper-based) metallurgy in Mesoamerica is c.600 CE for ornamental valuables, [1] and the system closest to coinage ever practiced in Mesoamerica was the widespread use of cacao beans and copper axes as media of exchange during the Postclassic. [2]

[1]: Shugar, Aaron N. and Scott E. Simmons. (2013) Archaeometallurgy in Mesoamerica: Current Approaches and New Perspectives. Boulder: University Press of Colorado, pg. 1-4.

[2]: Berdan, Frances F., Marilyn A. Masson, Janine Gasco, and Michael E. Smith. (2003) "An International Economy." In Michael E. Smith and Frances F. Berdan (eds.) The Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Salt Lake City: The University of Utah Press, pg. 102.


53 Middle Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Metals were another story. Throughout all these times [before 500 BCE], and even much later, they were essentially unused in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan’s predecessors [...] and Teotihuacan itself used only stone tools". [1]

[1]: (Cowgill 2015: 40) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JRFZPUXU.


54 Late Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
The first evidence for the introduction of indigenously produced (copper-based) metallurgy in Mesoamerica is c.600 CE for ornamental valuables, [1] and the system closest to coinage ever practiced in Mesoamerica was the widespread use of cacao beans and copper axes as media of exchange during the Postclassic. [2]

[1]: Shugar, Aaron N. and Scott E. Simmons. (2013) Archaeometallurgy in Mesoamerica: Current Approaches and New Perspectives. Boulder: University Press of Colorado, pg. 1-4.

[2]: Berdan, Frances F., Marilyn A. Masson, Janine Gasco, and Michael E. Smith. (2003) "An International Economy." In Michael E. Smith and Frances F. Berdan (eds.) The Postclassic Mesoamerican World. Salt Lake City: The University of Utah Press, pg. 102.


55 Jenne-jeno IV absent Confident Expert -
-
56 Isin-Larsa absent Confident Expert -
"It was not until iron came into widespread use in the early first millennium that swords in particular and iron weapons in general began to replace the more expensive bronze spears, arrowheads, axes, and daggers of earlier times." [1]

[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 190) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.


57 Yemen - Qasimid Dynasty absent Confident Expert -
-
58 Japan - Initial Jomon absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking began in the Yayoi period [1] .

[1]: (Mizoguchi 2013, 140)


59 Epiclassic Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Metals were another story. Throughout all these times [before 500 BCE], and even much later, they were essentially unused in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan’s predecessors [...] and Teotihuacan itself used only stone tools". [1]

[1]: (Cowgill 2015: 40) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JRFZPUXU.


60 Japan - Late Jomon absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking began in the Yayoi period [1] .

[1]: (Mizoguchi 2013, 140)


61 Classic Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Metals were another story. Throughout all these times [before 500 BCE], and even much later, they were essentially unused in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan’s predecessors [...] and Teotihuacan itself used only stone tools". [1]

[1]: (Cowgill 2015: 40) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JRFZPUXU.


62 Neolithic Middle Ganga absent Inferred Expert -
"Of 138 sites, only fourteen sites in UP and Bihar have been excavated so far and these show little use of copper." [1]

[1]: (Sharma 2007: 71) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/NBZAVZ3U.


63 Aztec Empire absent Confident Expert -
"Metals were another story. Throughout all these times [before 500 BCE], and even much later, they were essentially unused in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan’s predecessors [...] and Teotihuacan itself used only stone tools". [1]

[1]: (Cowgill 2015: 40) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JRFZPUXU.


64 Archaic Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Metals were another story. Throughout all these times [before 500 BCE], and even much later, they were essentially unused in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan’s predecessors [...] and Teotihuacan itself used only stone tools". [1]

[1]: (Cowgill 2015: 40) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/JRFZPUXU.


65 Monte Alban V absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


66 Early Monte Alban I absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


67 Monte Alban IIIB and IV absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


68 Monte Alban II absent Confident Expert -
Metalworking was not widely used in Mesoamerica, with metal products consisting mainly of small beads and ornaments. [1] [2]

[1]: Coe, M. D., Koontz, R. (2013) Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs (7th ed.) Thames and Hudson, London, p157

[2]: Kowalewski, S. A., Feinman, G. M., Finten, L., Blanton, R. E., Nicholas, L. M. (1989) Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part II: Prehispanic settlement patterns in Tlacolula, Etla, and Ocotlan, The Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico, Volume II. Memoirs of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Number 23. Ann Arbor.


69 Peiligang absent Confident Expert -
Bone and stone tools; ceramics. [1]

[1]: (Liu and Chen 2012: 142: 146: 148) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/DE5TU7HY.


70 Orokaiva - Pre-Colonial absent Confident Expert -
-
71 Bazi Dynasty absent Confident Expert -
"It was not until iron came into widespread use in the early first millennium that swords in particular and iron weapons in general began to replace the more expensive bronze spears, arrowheads, axes, and daggers of earlier times." [1]

[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 190) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.


72 Dynasty of E absent Confident Expert -
"It was not until iron came into widespread use in the early first millennium that swords in particular and iron weapons in general began to replace the more expensive bronze spears, arrowheads, axes, and daggers of earlier times." [1]

[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 190) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.


73 Second Dynasty of Isin absent Confident Expert -
"It was not until iron came into widespread use in the early first millennium that swords in particular and iron weapons in general began to replace the more expensive bronze spears, arrowheads, axes, and daggers of earlier times." [1]

[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 190) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.


74 Roman Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
Copper is used to make bronze.
75 Ashikaga Shogunate present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
76 Asuka present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
77 Japan - Azuchi-Momoyama present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
78 Kamakura Shogunate present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
79 Kansai - Kofun Period present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
80 Nara Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
Bronze present but use in warfare likely minor role.
81 Warring States Japan present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
82 Tokugawa Shogunate present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
83 Western Turk Khaganate present Confident Expert -
required for bronze
84 Classical Angkor present Inferred Expert -
Bronze armor have been found and copper is needed to make bronze, so it seems reasonable to assume that copper weapons were probably used too.
85 Phoenician Empire present Confident Expert -
-
86 Segou Kingdom present Confident Expert -
-
87 Byzantine Empire II present Confident Expert -
-
88 Byzantine Empire III present Confident Expert -
-
89 Neo-Hittite Kingdoms present Confident Expert -
-
90 Ottoman Emirate present Confident Expert -
-
91 Ottoman Empire I present Confident Expert -
-
92 Ottoman Empire II present Confident Expert -
-
93 Ottoman Empire III present Confident Expert -
-
94 Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Early present Inferred Expert -
-
95 Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Late present Inferred Expert -
-
96 Andronovo present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
97 Bamana kingdom present Confident Expert -
Military leaders wielded battle axes made of special metals, including copper [1] .

[1]: S.A. Djata, The Bamana kingdom by the Niger (1997), p. 17


98 Mongol Empire present Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: (Xie, Liye. North China Workshop 2016)


99 Xianbei Confederation present Inferred Expert -
Required for bronze.
100 Late Xiongnu present Inferred Expert -
Required for bronze.
101 Xiongnu Imperial Confederation present Inferred Expert -
Required for bronze.
102 Zungharian Empire present Confident Expert -
"Because of their need of weaponry the Dzungar rulers opened iron, copper and silver mines and produced spears, shields, gunpowder, cannon, bullets and iron utensils." [1]

[1]: (Miyawaki et al 2003, 164)


103 Tang Dynasty II present Confident Expert -
There were thirteen types of armored suits designated as official army wear, made with a range of materials from copper and wood, to leather and cloth." [1] [2]

[1]: (Hua 2010, 70) Hua, Mei. 2010. Chinese Clothing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[2]: (Xie, Liye. North China Workshop 2016)


104 Wari Empire present Confident Expert -
"The excavations at Conchopata uncovered numerous items that were likely weapons used in warfare and other violent contexts. One of the most remarkable pieces is a solid copper-bronze mace from EA88 (figure 5.4), which was almost surely cast (Isbell, pers. comm. 2010)." [1]

[1]: (Tung 2012, 114)


105 Indo-Greek Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Copper present [1]

[1]: Sir John Marshall, A Guide to Taxila, 4th Edition, Cambridge University (1960), p. 22


106 Sind - Abbasid-Fatimid Period present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
107 Sind - Samma Dynasty present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
108 Egypt - Kushite Period present Inferred Expert -
"the Egyptians had been using bronze armor since the Eighteenth dynasty" [1]

[1]: (Fischer-Bovet 2014, 135-138) Fischer-Bovet (2014) Army and Society in Ptolemaic Egypt. Cambridge University Press


109 Rattanakosin present Inferred Expert -
Earlier polities used bronze military technology, so this polity probably used copper too.
110 Sarazm present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
111 Konya Plain - Late Bronze Age II present Confident Expert -
copper is required for bronze
112 Byzantine Empire I present Confident Expert -
Copper or bronze siphons used to spray Greek fire.
113 East Roman Empire present Confident Expert -
present [1]

[1]: (Preiser-Kapeller 2015, Personal Communication)


114 Hatti - New Kingdom present Confident Expert -
copper is required for bronze
115 Kingdom of Lydia present Confident Expert -
present as used in bronze
116 Phrygian Kingdom present Confident Expert -
used in bronze
117 Tabal Kingdoms present Confident Expert -
present as used in bronze
118 Himyar I present Confident Expert -
-
119 Himyar II present Confident Expert -
-
120 Qatabanian Commonwealth present Confident Expert -
-
121 Yemen - Era of Warlords present Inferred Expert -
-
122 Durrani Empire present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
123 Ghur Principality present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
124 Kushan Empire present Inferred Expert -
Saka warriors who destroyed the Greco-Bactrian city of Ai Khanoum in 145 BCE (and may have used similar military technology to the Kushan nomads) used bronze arrowheads. [1]

[1]: (McLaughlin 2016, 76) Raoul McLaughlin. 2016. The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes: The Ancient World Economy and the Empires of Parthia, Central Asia and Han China. Pen and Sword History. Barnsley.


125 Erlitou present Confident Expert -
Used to make bronze. Knives and weapons were made of copper alloys. Compositional analysis of metal artefacts and slag samples from excavations Erlitou occupation sites reveal a range of compositions from pure copper to tin bronze, leaded tin bronze, arsenic bronze, lead-tin bronze and others. [1]

[1]: (Reinhart, Katrinka. Personal Communication to Jill Levine, Dan Hoyer, and Peter Turchin. April 2020. Email)


126 Great Ming present Confident Expert -
At the beginning of the Ming dynasty, tubular firearms were cast into simple cylindrical shapes with either iron or copper. In the late Ming dynasty, copper hair pins were included in the large artillery, weighing over 500 kg. [1]

[1]: (Needham, 1987, p.310)


127 Northern Wei present Inferred Expert -
In use in previous Chinese polities
128 Late Qing present Confident Expert -
e.g. copper alloy used to manufacture cannon, increasingly rare in the late Qing as Western military technology was sought out [1]

[1]: (Mao 2016, 30)


129 Sui Dynasty present Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: (Xie, Liye. North China Workshop 2016)


130 Tang Dynasty I present Confident Expert -
There were thirteen types of armored suits designated as official army wear, made with a range of materials from copper and wood, to leather and cloth." [1] [2]

[1]: (Hua 2010, 70) Hua, Mei. 2010. Chinese Clothing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[2]: (Xie, Liye. North China Workshop 2016)


131 Roman Empire - Principate present Confident Expert -
Shields boss made of iron or copper alloy. [1]

[1]: (Pollard and Berry 2012, 43)


132 Tairona present Confident Expert -
Copper Metallurgy present. Tairona goldsmiths used copper-rich alloys, some as high as 10-20% copper in weight. Twelve Tairona objects analyzed show ternary alloys with high copper content. (334-337) [1]

[1]: Scott, D. and Meyers, P. 1994. Archaeometry of Pre-Columbian Sites and Artifacts: Proceedings of a Symposium organized by the UCLA Institute of Archaeology and the Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, California, March 23–27, 1992. Getty Publications.


133 Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III present Confident Expert -
Greek fire projected through copper tube. [1]

[1]: (Nicolle 1986, 40) Nicolle, D. 1986. Saladin and the Saracens. Osprey Publishing Ltd. Oxford.


134 Majapahit Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Island South East Asia: ’Bronze and iron metallurgy appear to have arrived together, perhaps after 300 BC’. [1]

[1]: (Bellwood 2004, 36) Bellwood, Peter. The origins and dispersals of agricultural communities in Southeast Asia. Glover, Ian. Bellwood, Peter. eds. 2004. Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History. RoutledgeCurzon. London.


135 Koktepe I present Inferred Expert -
In bronze
136 Koktepe II present Inferred Expert -
In bronze
137 Egypt - Middle Kingdom present Confident Expert -
copper used in bronze. Evidence for bronze arrowheads and spearheads. Bronze arrowheads used may have been imported from Middle East. Production not common in Middle Kingdom. [1] Spearheads were made of copper. [2] Spearheads and arrowheads initially flintstone and bone, then replaced by bronze. [3]

[1]: (http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/weapons/index.html)

[2]: (Fields 2007, 4)

[3]: (Gnirs 2001)


138 Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
Evidence of copper metallurgy between 3000-2500 BCE. [1] [2]

[1]: (Baines, John. Personal Communication to Jill Levine, Dan Hoyer, and Peter Turchin. April 2020. Email)

[2]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.


139 Proto-Carolingian present Confident Expert -
Metal girdle of iron or bronze 6 inches in breadth worn around the waist. [1]

[1]: People’s Magazine. 1867. People’s Magazine: An Illustrated Miscellany for Family Reading. Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge. London. p. 381


140 Egypt - Late Old Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
Evidence of copper metallurgy between 3000-2500 BCE. [1] [2]

[1]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.

[2]: (Baines, John. Personal Communication to Jill Levine, Dan Hoyer, and Peter Turchin. April 2020. Email)


141 Egypt - Period of the Regions present Inferred Expert -
Copper metallurgy from 2500 BCE. [1]

[1]: (Adam 1981, 235) Adam, S. 1981. “The Importance of Nubia: A Link between Central Africa and the Mediterranean.” In General History of Africa II: Ancient Civilizations of Africa, edited by G. Mokhtar, II:226-44. General History of Africa. Paris: UNESCO. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8APQDQV3.


142 Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period present Confident Expert -
bronze includes copper. Hyksos introduced bronze metallurgy. [1] Hyksos imported bronze. [2]

[1]: (Wilson and Allen 1939, 20)

[2]: (Bourriau 2003, 182)


143 Egypt - Thebes-Libyan Period present Inferred Expert -
bronze is made with copper. In the New Kingdom bronze plates were added to leather armor. [1] and mail coats were made out of bronze. [2]

[1]: (Gnirs 2001)

[2]: (Hoffmeier 2001)


144 Funan II present Inferred Expert -
Bronze weapons have been found and copper is needed to make bronze, so it seems reasonable to assume that copper weapons were probably used too.
145 Bronze Age Cambodia present Inferred Expert -
We do not have any good data yet for the early development of metallurgy in the insular realm. We can, however, observe that in both areas the first advances in this new technology came in the form of adornment rather than for tools and weapons." [1]

[1]: (Miksic and Goh 2016: 86) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/2EZ3CBBS.


146 Atlantic Complex present Confident Expert -
The first axes made of copper, and then bronze, appeared in the Early Bronze Age. They were not necessarily linked to warfare but could have had a mixed use, including woodworking and indidivual defence. The first daggers and halberds appeared soon after, and there is no doubt that these were used for warfare, even though they could also be ornaments. "Au Bronze ancien apparaissent les premières haches en cuivre puis en bronze (cat. 1 et 2). Celles-ci ne sont pas a priori liées à des activités belliqueuses, mais cela n’exclut pas une utilisation mixte, entre le travail du bois et la défense individuelle. Elles sont rapidement accompagnées de poignards (cat. 11) et de hallebardes dont l’usage ne laisse guère de doute quant à leur utilisation guerrière (même s’il peut s’agir d’armes d’apparat)." [1]

[1]: (Ghesquière in Macigny et al 2005, 23)


147 Elam II present Confident Expert -
Copper and Iron weaponry found in Neo-Elamite territory dating to the early 7th century [1]

[1]: Javier Alvarez-Mon, ‘Elam in the Iron Age’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 461-2


148 Beaker Culture present Confident Expert -
"The need for prestige goods probably underlies the widespread adoption of new styles of pottery, particularly Corded Ware and Beakers, which were associated with other distinctive artifacts, such as bat- tle-axes, archery equipment, and ornaments of metal and other exotic materials. Metal artifacts spread to most parts of the continent during the third millennium and copper and gold metallurgy were widely adopted; some Corded Ware groups may have practiced a limited amount of copper metallurgy, but in western Europe the spread of metalworking was often associated with Beaker pottery." [1]

[1]: (McIntosh 2006, 55-58)


149 Proto-French Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
Bronze possibly used in the construction of wooden shields. [1]

[1]: (Boulton 1995 67-68) Jonathan D Boulton. Armor And Weapons. William W Kibler. Grover A Zinn. Lawrence Earp. John Bell Henneman Jr. 1995. Routledge Revivals: Medieval France (1995): An Encyclopedia. Routledge. Abingdon.


150 Postpalatial Crete present Confident Expert -
-
151 Carolingian Empire I present Confident Expert -
Bronze, leather and iron were used to make helmets. [1]

[1]: (Hooper and Bennett 1996, 12) Nicholas Hooper. Matthew Bennett. 1996. The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: The Middle Ages, 768-1487. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


152 Hallstatt A-B1 present Confident Expert -
"In the Halstatt and early La Tene periods, helmets were made of bronze. Iron helmets first appeared in the 4th century BC and gradually replaced the softer alloy, possibly in response to the development of the long slashing sword." [1]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 119)


153 Hallstatt B2-3 present Confident Expert -
"In the Halstatt and early La Tene periods, helmets were made of bronze. Iron helmets first appeared in the 4th century BC and gradually replaced the softer alloy, possibly in response to the development of the long slashing sword." [1]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 119)


154 Hallstatt C present Confident Expert -
"In the Halstatt and early La Tene periods, helmets were made of bronze. Iron helmets first appeared in the 4th century BC and gradually replaced the softer alloy, possibly in response to the development of the long slashing sword." [1]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 119)


155 Hallstatt D present Confident Expert -
"In the Halstatt and early La Tene periods, helmets were made of bronze. Iron helmets first appeared in the 4th century BC and gradually replaced the softer alloy, possibly in response to the development of the long slashing sword." [1]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 119)


156 Heian present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
157 Middle Merovingian present Confident Expert -
Metal girdle of iron or bronze 6 inches in breadth worn around the waist. [1]

[1]: People’s Magazine. 1867. People’s Magazine: An Illustrated Miscellany for Family Reading. Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge. London. p. 381


158 La Tene A-B1 present Confident Expert -
"In the Halstatt and early La Tene periods, helmets were made of bronze. Iron helmets first appeared in the 4th century BC and gradually replaced the softer alloy, possibly in response to the development of the long slashing sword." [1]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 119)


159 La Tene B2-C1 present Confident Expert -
"Bronze Italo-Celtic helmet with elaborate crest fitting for plumes or feathers, mid-4th century BC." [1] "In the Halstatt and early La Tene periods, helmets were made of bronze. Iron helmets first appeared in the 4th century BC and gradually replaced the softer alloy, possibly in response to the development of the long slashing sword." [2]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 41)

[2]: (Allen 2007, 119)


160 British Empire II present Confident Expert -
Brass-hilted swords. [1]

[1]: (Barthorp 1988, 21) Michael Barthorp. 1988. The British Army on Campaign. 1856-1881. Osprey Publishing Ltd.


161 Ashanti Empire present Confident Expert -
’Gun barrels were wrapped with brass wire or tightly bound cloth to minimise the risk of bursting, a perpetual problem with ill-maintained poor-quality firearms, charged or overcharged with unreliable gunpowder.’ [1]

[1]: McLeod, M. D. (Malcolm D.) 1981. “Asante”, 102


162 Java - Buni Culture present Confident Expert 299 BCE 500 CE
Island South East Asia: ’Bronze and iron metallurgy appear to have arrived together, perhaps after 300 BC’. [1]

[1]: (Bellwood 2004, 36) Bellwood, Peter. The origins and dispersals of agricultural communities in Southeast Asia. Glover, Ian. Bellwood, Peter. eds. 2004. Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History. RoutledgeCurzon. London.


163 Kediri Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Island South East Asia: ’Bronze and iron metallurgy appear to have arrived together, perhaps after 300 BC’. [1]

[1]: (Bellwood 2004, 36) Bellwood, Peter. The origins and dispersals of agricultural communities in Southeast Asia. Glover, Ian. Bellwood, Peter. eds. 2004. Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History. RoutledgeCurzon. London.


164 Mataram Sultanate present Confident Expert -
Island South East Asia: ’Bronze and iron metallurgy appear to have arrived together, perhaps after 300 BC’. [1]

[1]: (Bellwood 2004, 36) Bellwood, Peter. The origins and dispersals of agricultural communities in Southeast Asia. Glover, Ian. Bellwood, Peter. eds. 2004. Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History. RoutledgeCurzon. London.


165 Medang Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Island South East Asia: ’Bronze and iron metallurgy appear to have arrived together, perhaps after 300 BC’. [1]

[1]: (Bellwood 2004, 36) Bellwood, Peter. The origins and dispersals of agricultural communities in Southeast Asia. Glover, Ian. Bellwood, Peter. eds. 2004. Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History. RoutledgeCurzon. London.


166 Yisrael present Confident Expert -
In the Levant, in Israel iron replaced bronze for utilitarian objects by 900 BCE [1] and data from this time shows both bronze and iron weapons were being used. [2]

[1]: (McNutt 1999, 163) Paula M McNutt. 1999. Reconstructing the Society of Ancient Israel. Westminister John Knox Press. Louisville.

[2]: (Gabriel 2003, 117) Gabriel, Richard. 2003. The Military History of Ancient Israel. Westport: Praeger Publishers


167 Deccan - Iron Age present Confident Expert -
‘Before 600 BC, warfare in India consisted of duels among the Kshatriya aristocrats in chariots and cow lifting raids carried out by tribal militias’. Kshatriya charioteers wore helmets made of metal [1] , presumably of copper.

[1]: (Roy 2013) Kaushik Roy. 2013 Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia. Number 8. Routledge. Abingdon.


168 Post-Mauryan Kingdoms present Confident Expert -
‘Before 600 BC, warfare in India consisted of duels among the Kshatriya aristocrats in chariots and cow lifting raids carried out by tribal militias’. Kshatriya charioteers wore helmets made of metal [1] , presumably of copper.

[1]: (Roy 2013) Kaushik Roy. 2013 Military Manpower, Armies and Warfare in South Asia. Number 8. Routledge. Abingdon.


169 Ubaid present Confident Expert -
"A copper spearhead, the oldest yet discovered, was found in Mesopotamia dating to the early fifth millennium". [1]

[1]: (Hamblin 2006: 34) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/4WM3RBTD.


170 Deccan - Neolithic present Confident Expert -
"The people of the South Indian Neolithic Culture (1700-1100 BCE) "used polish stone celts and axes on a larger scale than was the case in the Deccan Chalcolithic. ... produced slender chalcedony blades ... The use of copper was on a restricted scale." [1] Copper swords associated with the Chalcolithic culture of the Karnataka region "with the time when ’Jorwe’ influences were reaching there from the north. This we suggested dated from 1400-1500 BC.’" [2] Reference for Vedic-period India (mostly Ganges valley but may also be relevant further south) mentions copper armour: "No material evidence exists to prove the use of body-armour, helmets and shields by the people of the Indus valley. It has been suggested, however, that domed pieces of copper, each pierced by two holes, were stitched on to a piece of cloth and used as a coat of mail." [3]

[1]: (Shinde and Deshpande 2002, 345) Vasant Shinde. Shweta Sinha Deshpande. South Indian Chalcolithic. Deccan Chalcolithic, South Indian Neolithic. Peter N. Peregrine. Melvin Ember. eds. 2002. Encyclopedia of Prehistory. Volume 8: South and Southwest Asia. Springer. Boston. pp 344-360.

[2]: (Allchin 1979, 114) F R Allchin. A South Indian Copper Sword and Its Significance. J E Van Lohuizen-De Leeuw. 1979. South Asian Archaeology 1975. From the third international conference of the Association of South Asian Archaeologists in Western Europe held in Paris. E J BRILL. Leiden.

[3]: (Singh 1997, 91) Sarva Daman Singh. 1997 (1965). Ancient Indian Warfare: With Special Reference to the Vedic Period. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited. Delhi.


171 Delhi Sultanate present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
172 Chalcolithic Middle Ganga present Inferred Expert -
"Over eighty copper hoards consisting of rings, celts, hatchets, swords, harpoons, spearheads, and human-like figures have been found in a wide area ranging from West Bengal and Orissa in the east to Gujarat and Haryana in the west, and from AP in the south to UP in the north." [1]

[1]: (Sharma 2007: 71) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/NBZAVZ3U.


173 Gupta Empire present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
174 Kadamba Empire present Confident Expert -
Probably more often used for ornamental features or for handles.
175 Magadha present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
176 Mughal Empire present Confident Expert -
Armor included iron and copper mail (mighfar), and elephant armor could be made of high iron or brass plates. In addition, guns were made of bronze and brass. [1] [2]

[1]: Gommans, J. J. L. 2002. Mughal Warfare: Indian frontiers and high roads to Empire, 1500-1700. London: Routledge, p199, 125, 133.

[2]: William Irvine, The army of the Indian Moghuls: its organization and administration (1903),pp. 90-102


177 Satavahana Empire present Confident Expert -
A military historian suggests metal armour was not widely used before the Macedonian invasion of Alexander the Great in the late fourth century BCE [1] - do ancient Indian specialists agree? Copper weapons did exist but by this time probably replaced by iron, steel or bronze.

[1]: (Gabriel 2002, 219) Gabriel, Richard A. 2002. The Great Armies of Antiquity. Greenwood Publishing Group.


178 Vakataka Kingdom present Confident Expert -
A military historian suggests that metal armour was not widely used before the Macedonian invasion of Alexander the Great in the late fourth century BCE [1]

[1]: (Gabriel 2002, 219) Gabriel, Richard A. 2002. The Great Armies of Antiquity. Greenwood Publishing Group.


179 Akkadian Empire present Confident Expert -
[1] Helmets could be made of copper. [2] "The majority of metal weaponry was likely made of arsenical copper in the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE.Tin bronzes, along with arsenical bronze alloys with a higher percentage of arsenic, are more common towards the middle of the 3rd millennium, which corresponds to the EDIII. (Moorey 1985: 250–54; Malfoy and Menu 1987: 356–59; Potts 1997: 167; De Ryck et al. 2005: 263–66)." [3]

[1]: Hamblin 2006, 77

[2]: (Foster 2016, 167) Foster, Benjamin R. 2016. The Age of Agade. Inventing Empire In Ancient Mesopotamia. Routledge. London.

[3]: (Stefanski, Arthur. 2008. “The Material Culture of Early Dynastic Akkadian Period Conflict: Copper and Bronze Melee Weapons from Khafajah.” The Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies. 13: 15)


180 Lysimachus Kingdom present Confident Expert -
used to make bronze “Odrysian Cavalry javelins were 1.5 to 1.8 metres in length, and tipped with iron or bronze heads. They could be thrown immediately before contact or used as a thrusting weapon.” [1]

[1]: Webber, C. (2003) Odrysian Cavalry, Army, Equipment and Tactics. Bar International Series 1139, pp. 529-554. p549


181 French Kingdom - Late Capetian present Inferred Expert -
Bronze possibly used in the construction of wooden shields. [1]

[1]: (Boulton 1995 67-68) Jonathan D Boulton. Armor And Weapons. William W Kibler. Grover A Zinn. Lawrence Earp. John Bell Henneman Jr. 1995. Routledge Revivals: Medieval France (1995): An Encyclopedia. Routledge. Abingdon.


182 Jin Dynasty present Confident Expert -
-
183 Great Yuan present Confident Expert -
-
184 Archaic Crete present Confident Expert -
-
185 Classical Crete present Confident Expert -
-
186 Geometric Crete present Confident Expert -
-
187 Kingdom of Ayodhya present Confident Expert -
-
188 Chalukyas of Kalyani present Confident Expert -
-
189 Greco-Bactrian Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
190 Hephthalites present Inferred Expert -
required for bronze
191 Kidarite Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
In bronze
192 Tocharians present Inferred Expert -
In bronze
193 Eastern Han Empire present Inferred Expert -
In bronze
194 Western Jin present Inferred Expert -
in bronze
195 Erligang present Confident Expert -
Used to make bronze.
196 Jin present Confident Expert -
Required for bronze.
197 Longshan present Confident Expert -
Present. [1]

[1]: (Peers 2011, 362)


198 Northern Song present Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: (Xie, Liye. North China Workshop 2016)


199 Early Qing present Confident Expert -
e.g. cannon. Cannon made with copper alloy, but due to the scarcity of copper during this era, these cannon were rare. [1]

[1]: (Mao 2016, p.300)


200 Late Shang present Confident Expert -
used in bronze
201 Early Wei Dynasty present Confident Expert -
In bronze.
202 Western Han Empire present Confident Expert -
In bronze.
203 Western Zhou present Confident Expert -
Required for bronze.
204 Shuar - Colonial present Confident Expert -
Military use of copper was documented for the Spanish colonial period: "Salinas, writing in 1571 (second letter), says that the Indians in the vicinity of Santiago have copper axes, ( ) shields made of tapir skin and of wood, and spear throwers." [1] Note: Steel’s comments suggest that the acquisition of metal rools was a major factor in transforming Shuar military activities in the Ecuadorian period: "Shuar tsantsa raids intensified in the latter part of the nineteenth century and then declined after about 1915, while intratribal feuding among the interior Shuar increased from about 1915 to 1957. Achuar feuding increased dramatically from 1940-70, then declined in the 1970s. These general changes in Jivaro warfare were shown to correspond to changes in the availability of Western goods. Moreover, evidence was given that the Jivaro had a strong desire to obtain manufactured valuables and that access to these items became an important basis of power for great men. That such motives could incite violence and alter the course of war was supported by analysis of particular cases, informants’ statements to this effect, and an analysis of the process by which would-be assassins sought support for their ventures. Finally, other proposed explanations of Jivaro warfare fail to adequately account for the historical events described in this essay. Although I have only considered the Achuar and the Shuar here, there is reason to think that similar arguments could be developed for the other main Jivaro groups, the Aguaruna and the Huambisa. Beginning around the 1810s, the Aguaruna and the Huambisa initiated a series of devastat- - ing raids on Peruvian frontier towns in their area, obliterating some towns completely and often causing other towns to relocate (Guallart 1990: 139-47). The Aguaruna and the Huambisa were involved in the 1880-1915 rubber boom, and the Aguaruna were engaged in head-hunting raids (ibid.: 163-82; Bennett Ross 1980: 56).The explorer F. W. Up de Graff (1923: 238- go) provides a detailed eye-witness account of an Aguaruna tsantsa raid from this period that illustrates how manufactured valuables (provided by himself in this case) could stimulate violent action. From about 1950 to 1970 many Aguarunas and Huambisas labored for Peruvian patrones, often under exploitative conditions (Brown 1986: 38). In the early 1970s a new Peruvian government passed Indian-friendly laws that ultimately ended the patrones system, which may be related to the fact that the severe Aguaruna feuding of previous decades was a dim memory by 1978 (ibid.: 38-44). Anthropological theorizing about Jivaro warfare, then, would benefit from further inquiry into the influence of manufactured valuables." [2] Given how his evidence dates from the Ecuadorian period, we have assumed that the goods in question were not in widespread use prior to the Ecuadorian period. This is open to re-evaluation.

[1]: Stirling, Matthew Williams. 1938. “Historical And Ethnographical Material On The Jivaro Indians.”, 78-79

[2]: Steel, Daniel 1999. "Trade Goods and Jívaro Warfare: The Shuar 1850-1957, and the Achuar, 1940-1978", 772p


205 Ayyubid Sultanate present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
206 Egypt - Inter-Occupation Period present Confident Expert -
bronze is made with copper. Greek mercenaries possessed "elaborate bronze armor" [1]

[1]: (Fischer-Bovet 2014, 16)


207 Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate I present Confident Expert -
Greek fire projected through copper tube. [1]

[1]: (Nicolle 1986, 40) Nicolle, D. 1986. Saladin and the Saracens. Osprey Publishing Ltd. Oxford.


208 Roman Empire - Dominate present Inferred Expert -
Copper alloy may have had minor role in armour.
209 Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate II present Confident Expert -
Greek fire projected through copper tube. [1]

[1]: (Nicolle 1986, 40) Nicolle, D. 1986. Saladin and the Saracens. Osprey Publishing Ltd. Oxford.


210 Egypt - New Kingdom Ramesside Period present Confident Expert -
bronze is made with cooper. Mail coats made out of bronze. [1]

[1]: (Hoffmeier 2001)


211 Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period present Confident Expert -
Bronze is made with copper. Bronze plates could be added to leather armor. [1] Copper and/or Bronze may also have been used for shields. [2]

[1]: (Gnirs 2001)

[2]: (Hoffmeier 2001)


212 Ptolemaic Kingdom I present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
213 Egypt - Saite Period present Confident Expert -
bronze is made with copper. Greek mercenaries possessed "elaborate bronze armor" [1]

[1]: (Fischer-Bovet 2014, 16)


214 Spanish Empire I present Inferred Expert -
Widespread in Europe by this time.
215 French Kingdom - Early Bourbon present Inferred Expert -
Minor role. [1]

[1]: (Horn 2006, 142) Jeff Horn. 2006. The Path Not Taken: French Industrialization in the Age of Revolution, 1750-1830. The MIT Press. Cambridge.


216 French Kingdom - Late Bourbon present Confident Expert -
Bronze cannon. [1]

[1]: (Horn 2006, 142) Jeff Horn. 2006. The Path Not Taken: French Industrialization in the Age of Revolution, 1750-1830. The MIT Press. Cambridge.


217 Carolingian Empire II present Confident Expert -
Bronze, leather and iron were used to make helmets. [1]

[1]: (Hooper and Bennett 1996, 12) Nicholas Hooper. Matthew Bennett. 1996. The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: The Middle Ages, 768-1487. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


218 Early Merovingian present Confident Expert -
Metal girdle of iron or bronze 6 inches in breadth worn around the waist. [1]

[1]: People’s Magazine. 1867. People’s Magazine: An Illustrated Miscellany for Family Reading. Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge. London. p. 381


219 La Tene C2-D present Inferred Expert -
"In the Halstatt and early La Tene periods, helmets were made of bronze. Iron helmets first appeared in the 4th century BC and gradually replaced the softer alloy, possibly in response to the development of the long slashing sword." [1] Still present, used less often.

[1]: (Allen 2007, 119)


220 French Kingdom - Early Valois present Inferred Expert -
Bronze sword hilts?
221 French Kingdom - Late Valois present Inferred Expert -
Bronze sword hilts?
222 Kalingga Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Island South East Asia: ’Bronze and iron metallurgy appear to have arrived together, perhaps after 300 BC’. [1]

[1]: (Bellwood 2004, 36) Bellwood, Peter. The origins and dispersals of agricultural communities in Southeast Asia. Glover, Ian. Bellwood, Peter. eds. 2004. Southeast Asia: From Prehistory to History. RoutledgeCurzon. London.


223 Chalukyas of Badami present Confident Expert -
Metal armour was used for both warriors and horses [1] . Type of metal not specified. Likely used primarily for ornamental reasons.

[1]: D.P. Dikshit, Political History of the Chalukyas (1980), p. 266


224 New Palace Crete present Confident Expert -
-
225 Magadha - Maurya Empire present Confident Expert -
-
226 Magadha - Sunga Empire present Confident Expert -
-
227 Uruk present Confident Expert -
-
228 Buyid Confederation present Inferred Expert -
-
229 Western Roman Empire - Late Antiquity present Confident Expert -
-
230 Gahadavala Dynasty present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
231 Hoysala Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Likely used primarily for ornamental reasons.
232 Kampili Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Likely used primarily for ornamental reasons.
233 Kannauj - Varman Dynasty present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
234 Rashtrakuta Empire present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals. Likely used primarily for ornamental reasons.
235 Vijayanagara Empire present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of higher metals.
236 Early Dynastic present Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: Hamblin 2006, 48


237 Neo-Assyrian Empire present Confident Expert -
Assyrians “first to recognise fully” the superiority of iron over bronze, which had been used for weapons, chariots and armour since 1100 BCE. [1] If the Assyrians were aware of bronze technology, then they also capable of using copper, since it is needed to make bronze.

[1]: (Dupuy and Dupuy 2007, 10)


238 Neo-Babylonian Empire present Inferred Expert -
Present in previous and subsequent polities.
239 Ur - Dynasty III present Confident Expert -
Required for bronze.
240 Elymais II present Inferred Expert -
Confirmed for the Parthians.
241 Ilkhanate present Inferred Expert -
present in preceding Mongol polity
242 Elam - Kidinuid Period present Confident Expert -
‘copper/bronze socketed spear’ [1]

[1]: Michael D. Danti, ‘The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 340


243 Elam - Shutrukid Period present Confident Expert -
Copper has been found for a time frame in the region covering this polity:copper and bronze weapons found in graves [1]

[1]: Michael D. Danti, ‘The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 347


244 Sasanid Empire I present Inferred Expert -
bronze is made with copper. Copper weapons present in preceding Parthian polity [1]

[1]: (Penrose 2008, 223) Penrose, Jane. 2008. Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War. Osprey Publishing.


245 Seleucids present Inferred Expert -
Present in previous and subsequent periods.
246 Elam - Early Sukkalmah present Confident Expert -
Required for bronze.
247 Susa III present Confident Expert -
The materials used for weapons were mainly copper for this period [1]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 81) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


248 Latium - Bronze Age present Inferred Expert -
Inferred present due to inferred presence of bronze.
249 Latium - Iron Age present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the presence of bronze.
250 Rome - Republic of St Peter II present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
251 Papal States - High Medieval Period present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
252 Papal States - Renaissance Period present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
253 Early Roman Republic present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
254 Khmer Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
Bronze armor have been found and copper is needed to make bronze, so it seems reasonable to assume that copper weapons were probably used too.
255 Chenla present Inferred Expert -
Bronze weapons have been found and copper is needed to make bronze, so it seems reasonable to assume that copper weapons were probably used too.
256 Funan I present Confident Expert -
Their mortuary ritual was considerably more complex than that of the preceding Neolithic 2. Burial 569, for example, was cut deeply into the substrate, and the young woman was interred in a wooden coffin with a pointed end resembling that of a boat. Fourteen finely-made pots had been placed within and outside the coffin. She wore a shell bangle, and over 2000 shell disc beads were found as belts and necklaces. She was also interred with several probably symbolic bivalve shells, two positioned beside the hands. A socketed copper-base axe had been placed beside her head. [1]

[1]: (higham 2012: 271)


257 Bronze Age Cambodia present Inferred Expert -
Evidence of bronze, gold, silver and iron. [1]

[1]: (Miksic and Goh 2016: 106) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/2EZ3CBBS.


258 Eastern Turk Khaganate present Inferred Expert -
long been in use in the region. Majemir culture from 900 BCE is an example of one of the first iron-using cultures in the Altai region. [1] and by 300 BCE in the Ordos region of Mongolia iron was becoming much more frequently used for weapons and horse fittings. [2]

[1]: (Baumer 2012) Baumer, Christoph. 2012. The History of Central Asia: The Age of the Steppe Warriors. I.B.Tauris. London.

[2]: (Di Cosmo 2002, 84) Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


259 Khitan I present Inferred Expert -
Majemir culture from 900 BCE is an example of one of the first iron-using cultures in the Altai region. [1] and by 300 BCE in the Ordos region of Mongolia iron was becoming much more frequently used for weapons and horse fittings. [2]

[1]: (Baumer 2012) Baumer, Christoph. 2012. The History of Central Asia: The Age of the Steppe Warriors. I.B.Tauris. London.

[2]: (Di Cosmo 2002, 84) Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


260 Early Mongols present Inferred Expert -
long been in use in the region. Majemir culture from 900 BCE is an example of one of the first iron-using cultures in the Altai region. [1] and by 300 BCE in the Ordos region of Mongolia iron was becoming much more frequently used for weapons and horse fittings. [2]

[1]: (Baumer 2012) Baumer, Christoph. 2012. The History of Central Asia: The Age of the Steppe Warriors. I.B.Tauris. London.

[2]: (Di Cosmo 2002, 84) Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


261 Late Mongols present Inferred Expert -
long been in use in the region. Majemir culture from 900 BCE is an example of one of the first iron-using cultures in the Altai region. [1] and by 300 BCE in the Ordos region of Mongolia iron was becoming much more frequently used for weapons and horse fittings. [2]

[1]: (Baumer 2012) Baumer, Christoph. 2012. The History of Central Asia: The Age of the Steppe Warriors. I.B.Tauris. London.

[2]: (Di Cosmo 2002, 84) Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


262 Rouran Khaganate present Inferred Expert -
long been in use in the region. Majemir culture from 900 BCE is an example of one of the first iron-using cultures in the Altai region. [1] and by 300 BCE in the Ordos region of Mongolia iron was becoming much more frequently used for weapons and horse fittings. [2]

[1]: (Baumer 2012) Baumer, Christoph. 2012. The History of Central Asia: The Age of the Steppe Warriors. I.B.Tauris. London.

[2]: (Di Cosmo 2002, 84) Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


263 Shiwei present Inferred Expert -
long been in use in the region. Majemir culture from 900 BCE is an example of one of the first iron-using cultures in the Altai region. [1] and by 300 BCE in the Ordos region of Mongolia iron was becoming much more frequently used for weapons and horse fittings. [2]

[1]: (Baumer 2012) Baumer, Christoph. 2012. The History of Central Asia: The Age of the Steppe Warriors. I.B.Tauris. London.

[2]: (Di Cosmo 2002, 84) Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


264 Second Turk Khaganate present Inferred Expert -
long been in use in the region. Majemir culture from 900 BCE is an example of one of the first iron-using cultures in the Altai region. [1] and by 300 BCE in the Ordos region of Mongolia iron was becoming much more frequently used for weapons and horse fittings. [2]

[1]: (Baumer 2012) Baumer, Christoph. 2012. The History of Central Asia: The Age of the Steppe Warriors. I.B.Tauris. London.

[2]: (Di Cosmo 2002, 84) Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


265 Uigur Khaganate present Inferred Expert -
long been in use in the region. Majemir culture from 900 BCE is an example of one of the first iron-using cultures in the Altai region. [1] and by 300 BCE in the Ordos region of Mongolia iron was becoming much more frequently used for weapons and horse fittings. [2]

[1]: (Baumer 2012) Baumer, Christoph. 2012. The History of Central Asia: The Age of the Steppe Warriors. I.B.Tauris. London.

[2]: (Di Cosmo 2002, 84) Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


266 Early Xiongnu present Confident Expert -
"The Ch’i-chia culture was broadly distributed, extending north and east into Inner Mongolia, the upper Yellow River Valley, and the upper Wei-he and Huang-shui River Valleys. Connected with earlier Neolithic cultures, such as the Ma-chia-yao, during the first half of the first millennium b.c., the Ch’i-chia people displayed cultural traits that were among the most advanced in China. Their bronze production was extensive, and they progressed from forging copper tools (knives, awls, chisels) to casting objects (knives and axes) in open molds to more complex casting using composite molds (mirrors and socketed axes)." [1]

[1]: Nicola Di Cosmo. 2002. Ancient China and Its Enemies: The Rise of Nomadic Power in East Asian History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, p. 46


267 Inca Empire present Confident Expert -
"The battles were noisy, colorful affairs. The soldiers from each etnía were clothed in their distinctive martial vestments. Cobo (1990: 216) wrote that the warriors adorned themselves with finery: “Over this defensive gear, they would usually wear their most attractive and rich adornments and jewels; this included wearing fine plumes of many colors on their heads and large gold and silver plates on their chests and backs; however, the plates worn by poorer soldiers were copper.” " [1]

[1]: (D’Altroy 2014, 345)


268 Kachi Plain - Proto-Historic Period present Confident Expert -
On same level as Pirak III iron weapons, bronze and copper arrowheads.
269 Kachi Plain - Urban Period I present Inferred Expert -
Copper arrowheads, though it is not clear whether these were used in warfare. These had been found at Harappan, Lothal and Banawali. Neighbouring communities, such as the so-called Ganeshwar and Jodhpura Cultural Complex (GJCC) seem to have used similar types of arrowheads [1] .

[1]: (Ceccarelli, pers. comm. to E. Cioni, Feb 2017)


270 Kachi Plain - Urban Period II present Inferred Expert -
Copper arrowheads, though it is not clear whether these were used in warfare. These had been found at Harappan, Lothal and Banawali. Neighbouring communities, such as the so-called Ganeshwar and Jodhpura Cultural Complex (GJCC) seem to have used similar types of arrowheads [1] .

[1]: (Ceccarelli, pers. comm. to E. Cioni, Feb 2017)


271 Ayutthaya present Inferred Expert -
Earlier polities used bronze military technology, so this polity probably used copper too.
272 Fatimid Caliphate present Confident Expert -
however, iron and steel primarily used in military matters
273 Konya Plain - Early Bronze Age present Confident Expert -
Arslantepe had particularly good metallurgy, copper swords and spearheads [1]

[1]: James D. Muhly, ‘Metals and Metallurgy’, The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Anatolia: (10,000-323 BCE), Edited by Gregory McMahon and Sharon Steadman, 2011, pp. 864-867


274 Middle Bronze Age in Central Anatolia present Confident Expert -
Arslantepe had particularly good metallurgy, copper swords and spearheads [1]

[1]: James D. Muhly, ‘Metals and Metallurgy’, The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Anatolia: (10,000-323 BCE), Edited by Gregory McMahon and Sharon Steadman, 2011, pp. 864-867


275 Konya Plain - Late Chalcolithic present Confident Expert -
Anatolia well known at the time for copper deposits [1] Copper or bronze mace-head from Can Hasan [2] and items found made from smelted copper have been dated to around 5000 BC [3] ‘There is some evidence for substantial subterranean copper ore mining (e.g., at Kozlu in central Anatolia). The use of arsenical copper appears to be a hallmark of the time’ [4]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 55) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.

[2]: Excavations at Can Hasan: First Preliminary Report, 1961 Author(s): D. H. French Source: Anatolian Studies, Vol. 12 1962, British Institute at Ankara, pp.34

[3]: https://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/iss/kap_a/advanced/ta_1_2j.html

[4]: Ulf-Dietrich Schoop, ‘The Chalcolithic on the Plateau’, The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Anatolia: (10,000-323 BCE), Edited by Gregory McMahon and Sharon Steadman, 2011, p. 165


276 Hatti - Old Kingdom present Confident Expert -
used in bronze [1]

[1]: Siegelova I. and H. Tsumoto (2011) Metals and Metallurgy in Hittite Anatolia, pp. 292-294[In:] H. Genz and D. P. Mielke (ed.) Insights Into Hittite History And Archaeology, Colloquia Antiqua 2, Leuven, Paris, Walpole MA: PEETERS, pp. 275-300


277 Khanate of Bukhara present Confident Expert -
"Between 1510 and 1540, the Ottomans aided the Uzbeks in manufacturing hand-held firearms that shot copper and iron balls. The Ottomans’ strategy was to arm the Uzbeks as a counterweight to the Safavids." [1]

[1]: (Roy 2014, 47) Kaushik Roy. 2014. Military Transition in Early Modern Asia, 1400-1750: Cavalry, Guns, Government and Ships. Bloomsbury Academic. London.


278 Ancient Khwarazm present Inferred Expert -
Copper is needed to make bronze which is present.
279 Samanid Empire present Confident Expert -
’The mass spread of iron in Central Asia is an event of the 6th-4th centuries BC. Hence it is reasonable to begin the Iron Age in Central Asia only from the second quarter of the 1st millennium BC’. [1]

[1]: Kuzmina, Elena Efimovna. 2007. The Origin of the Indo-Iranians. BRILL. p. 426


280 Sogdiana - City-States Period present Confident Expert -
’The mass spread of iron in Central Asia is an event of the 6th-4th centuries BC. Hence it is reasonable to begin the Iron Age in Central Asia only from the second quarter of the 1st millennium BC’. [1]

[1]: Kuzmina, Elena Efimovna. 2007. The Origin of the Indo-Iranians. BRILL. p. 426


281 Timurid Empire present Confident Expert -
’The mass spread of iron in Central Asia is an event of the 6th-4th centuries BC. Hence it is reasonable to begin the Iron Age in Central Asia only from the second quarter of the 1st millennium BC’. [1]

[1]: Kuzmina, Elena Efimovna. 2007. The Origin of the Indo-Iranians. BRILL. p. 426


282 Yemen - Late Bronze Age present Confident Expert -
"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: October 2019)


283 Neolithic Yemen present Inferred Expert 3000 BCE 1201 BCE
"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


284 Achaemenid Empire present Confident Expert -
Copper used to make bronze. Greek mercenaries under Cyrus had "helmets, greaves and shields of bronze" [1] "Of the Medes and Persians as a whole, only a few wore armour. Some had body armour of iron scales ... and only some of the cavalry wore helmets of bronze or iron." [2]

[1]: (Sekunda 1992, 10) Sekunda, N. 1992. The Persian Army 560-330 BC. Osprey Publishing.

[2]: (Robinson 1967) Robinson, H. Russell. 1967. Oriental Armour. Walker and Co. New York.


285 Elam - Awan Dynasty I present Confident Expert -
Copper/bronze arrowheads, daggers and knives in tombs at Susa. [1] "The majority of metal weaponry was likely made of arsenical copper in the first half of the 3rd millennium BCE. Tin bronzes, along with arsenical bronze alloys with a higher percentage of arsenic, are more common towards the middle of the 3rd millennium, which corresponds to the EDIII (Moorey 1985: 250–54; Malfoy and Menu 1987: 356–59; Potts 1997: 167; De Ryck et al. 2005: 263–66)." [2]

[1]: (Potts 2016, 89) Potts, D T. 2016. The Archaeology of Elam Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State. 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.

[2]: (Stefanski, Arthur. 2008. “The Material Culture of Early Dynastic Akkadian Period Conflict: Copper and Bronze Melee Weapons from Khafajah.” The Canadian Society for Mesopotamian Studies. 13: 16)


286 Elam - Crisis Period present Confident Expert -
Coded as present as the following has been found for a time frame in the region covering this polity: copper and bronze weapons found in graves [1]

[1]: Michael D. Danti, ‘The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 347


287 Susiana A present Inferred Expert -
Siyalk II-III in Iran, evidence of copper smelting but unclear if in use for military means [1]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 54) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


288 Susiana B present Inferred Expert -
Siyalk II-III in Iran, evidence of copper smelting but unclear if in use for military means [1]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 54) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


289 Susiana - Late Ubaid present Confident Expert -
copper based tools and weapons appeared in the 5th millenium BC [1]

[1]: Abbas Moghaddam, ‘The Later Village (Chalcolithic) Period in Khuzestan’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 124


290 Susiana - Early Ubaid present Inferred Expert 5100 BCE 5000 BCE
‘production of metal artifacts that now began in earnest with the cold and hot working of copper’ [1] copper based tools and weapons appeared in the 5th millenium BC [2]

[1]: Barbara Helwing, ‘The Chalcolithic of Northern Iran’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 84

[2]: Abbas Moghaddam, ‘The Later Village (Chalcolithic) Period in Khuzestan’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 124


291 Susiana - Early Ubaid present Confident Expert 4999 BCE 4700 BCE
‘production of metal artifacts that now began in earnest with the cold and hot working of copper’ [1] copper based tools and weapons appeared in the 5th millenium BC [2]

[1]: Barbara Helwing, ‘The Chalcolithic of Northern Iran’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 84

[2]: Abbas Moghaddam, ‘The Later Village (Chalcolithic) Period in Khuzestan’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 124


292 Elam - Igihalkid Period present Confident Expert -
Copper has been found for a time frame in the region covering this polity:copper and bronze weapons found in graves. [1]

[1]: Michael D. Danti, ‘The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 347


293 Elam I present Confident Expert -
‘Major categories are pear-shaped stone maceheads, copper/bronze spiked and star maces, shortswords, knives/daggers with upturned ends, iron socketed spears, and arrowheads’ [1]

[1]: Michael D. Danti, ‘The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 359


294 Parthian Empire I present Confident Expert -
bronze is made with copper: Heavy cavalry armour made from "rawhide, horn, iron, and bronze cut into scales." [1] "The standard turn-out would have included helmets of bronze or iron, sometimes with a neck guard and/or an aventail of lamellar, scale or mail, sometimes sporting a small plume of horsehair, either dyed or left natural; and a corselet of lamellar, mail or scale for the torso" [1]

[1]: (Penrose 2008, 223) Penrose, Jane. 2008. Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War. Osprey Publishing.


295 Parthian Empire II present Confident Expert -
bronze made with copper: Heavy cavalry armour made from "rawhide, horn, iron, and bronze cut into scales." [1]

[1]: (Penrose 2008, 223) Penrose, Jane. 2008. Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War. Osprey Publishing.


296 Sasanid Empire II present Inferred Expert -
bronze is made with copper. Copper weapons present in preceding Parthian polity [1]

[1]: (Penrose 2008, 223) Penrose, Jane. 2008. Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War. Osprey Publishing.


297 Elam - Shimashki Period present Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: (Kuz’mina 2007, 368) Elena E Kuz’mina. J P Mallory ed. 2007. The Origin of the Indo-Iranians. BRILL. Leiden.


298 Elam - Late Sukkalmah present Confident Expert -
‘copper/bronze socketed spear’ [1]

[1]: Michael D. Danti, ‘The Late Bronze and Early Iron Age in Northwestern Iran’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 340


299 Susa I present Confident Expert -
copper based tools and weapons appeared in the 5th millenium BC [1]

[1]: Abbas Moghaddam, ‘The Later Village (Chalcolithic) Period in Khuzestan’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 124


300 Susa II present Confident Expert -
copper based tools and weapons appeared in the 5th millenium BC [1]

[1]: Abbas Moghaddam, ‘The Later Village (Chalcolithic) Period in Khuzestan’, In Daniel T. Potts (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran, 2013, p. 124


301 Latium - Copper Age present Confident Expert -
Axes and halberds [1] .

[1]: A.P. Anzidei, A.M. Bietti Sestieri and A. De Santis, Roma e il Lazio dall’età della pietra alla formazione della città (1985), p. 97


302 Ostrogothic Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
303 Papal States - Early Modern Period I present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
304 Middle Roman Republic present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of bronze.
305 OOpsian present Confident Expert -
According to a military historian, Japanese ’kuni’ warriors mentioned by early Han annals "fought with iron and bronze weapons against other kuni and other less advanced peoples, the emishi or ’toad barbarians.’ on their frontiers" [1] - are these early Han annals considered a reliable source by polity/region specialists?

[1]: (Gabriel 2002, 316) Richard A Gabriel. 2002. The Great Armies of Antiquity. Praeger. Westport.


306 Kara-Khanids present Confident Expert -
’The mass spread of iron in Central Asia is an event of the 6th-4th centuries BC. Hence it is reasonable to begin the Iron Age in Central Asia only from the second quarter of the 1st millennium BC’. [1]

[1]: Kuzmina, Elena Efimovna. 2007. The Origin of the Indo-Iranians. BRILL. p. 426


307 Early Angkor present Inferred Expert -
Bronze armor have been found and copper is needed to make bronze, so it seems reasonable to assume that copper weapons were probably used too.
308 Late Angkor present Inferred Expert -
Bronze armor has been found and copper is needed to make bronze, so it seems reasonable to assume that copper weapons were probably used too.
309 Neolithic Yemen unknown Confident Expert 3500 BCE 3001 BCE
"No archaeological evidence when metallurgy was first practiced in Yemen, but first bronze items appeared in the 3rd-2nd mill graves. Probably bronze (raw material, not items) was imported from Omani mountains." [1]

[1]: (A. Sedov: pers. comm. to E. Cioni: September 2019)


310 Cuzco - Late Intermediate II unknown Suspected Expert -
"Copper-tin bronze alloys were developed by metalworkers in the cassiterite-rich southern Andean highlands of Bolivia, Peru, and northwest Argentina. Both bronze alloys were in use by about 850 A.D." [1]

[1]: (Holder and Streeser-Pean 1992: 1215) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/CTK5MTBV.


311 Yehuda unknown Suspected Expert -
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312 Qajar unknown Suspected Expert -
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313 Prepalatial Crete unknown Suspected Expert -
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314 Neguanje unknown Suspected Expert -
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315 Seljuk Sultanate unknown Suspected Expert -
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316 Safavid Empire unknown Suspected Expert -
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317 Elam III unknown Suspected Expert -
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318 Ak Koyunlu unknown Suspected Expert -
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319 Hmong - Late Qing unknown Suspected Expert -
we need expert input in order to code this variable
320 Hmong - Early Chinese unknown Suspected Expert -
We need expert input in order to code this variable. Cannot be inferred from the presence of iron and steel since it depends on access to ores.
321 Chagatai Khanate unknown Suspected Expert -
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322 Cuzco - Late Formative unknown Confident Expert -
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323 Cuzco - Early Intermediate II unknown Confident Expert -
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324 Cuzco - Early Intermediate I unknown Confident Expert -
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325 Kingdom of Norway II unknown Suspected Expert -
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326 Middle Wagadu Empire unknown Suspected Expert -
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327 Later Wagadu Empire unknown Suspected Expert -
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328 Mali Empire unknown Suspected Expert -
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329 Jenne-jeno III unknown Suspected Expert -
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330 Jenne-jeno II unknown Suspected Expert -
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331 Japan - Final Jomon unknown Suspected Expert -
Metalworking began in the Yayoi period [1] [2]

[1]: (Mizoguchi 2013, 140)

[2]: Pearson, Richard., ‘Debating Jomon Social Complexity’, Asian Perspectives: Journal of Archeology for Asia & the Pacific, Volume 46, Number 2 (Fall), 2007, pp. 360


332 Jenne-jeno I unknown Suspected Expert -
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333 Saadi Sultanate unknown Suspected Expert -
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334 Old Palace Crete unknown Suspected Expert -
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335 Early A'chik unknown Suspected Expert -
Expert needed. Inferences from the presence of iron cannot be made. Did they have access to copper ore? Did they external trade?
336 Republic of St Peter I unknown Confident Expert -
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337 Exarchate of Ravenna unknown Confident Expert -
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338 Cuzco - Late Intermediate I unknown Suspected Expert -
"Copper-tin bronze alloys were developed by metalworkers in the cassiterite-rich southern Andean highlands of Bolivia, Peru, and northwest Argentina. Both bronze alloys were in use by about 850 A.D." [1]

[1]: (Holder and Streeser-Pean 1992: 1215) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/CTK5MTBV.