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Mining activities were pivotal in the socio-economic evolution of prehistoric societies. Western Eurasia’s early metallurgical innovations developed across six primary centers rich in surface copper deposits: Anatolia, Iran, the Levant, the Caucasus, Iberia, and the Balkans. Among these, the Balkans occupy a central position in current archaeometallurgical debates. Archaeological evidence supports the region as one of the world’s earliest sites for extractive metallurgy. This study investigates the history of Balkan mining from the Neolithic to the end of the Chalcolithic period (c. 6200-3700 BC). It specifically examines mining origins and technological developments at key sites such as Rudna Glava, Aibunar, and Belovode. Furthermore, the article analyzes extraction techniques, the emergence of mining as a specialized profession, and the socio-economic position of miners. It also evaluates the findings within the framework of current debates between diffusionist and autochthonous development models. By synthesizing field archaeology results with laboratory-based archaeometallurgical data, the research offers a comprehensive analysis of the Balkan contribution to early metallurgy and its social implications.
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