Ancient Metallurgy

Question 1: Discuss how the development of metal technology influenced trade and interaction between Mediterranean peoples. How important were quarries? How did the presence of ores in an area affect the indigenous population's wealth and trading capacity? How did the the trade of metal ores and metal goods bring together ancient cultures in such profound ways? Include a geological and archeological perspective on these questions.

Question 2: The development of Metallurgy is highly dependent on the geological makeup of a civilization. Explore how access to geological resources would have affected the development of metal technologies in early civilizations (Egyptian, Sumerian, ect...). Would it appear that access to copper bearing ore like Malachite or Cuprite aided in the overall growth of societies? As metallurgy continued to develop, did the over-exploitation of these geological resources lead to the downfall of some of these civilizations?