Craft Specialization First Appears in the Chalcolithic Period

During the Chalcolithic period, craft specialization developed to a higher level than at any previous time in the history of the Levant.¹¹

In addition, long- and short-distance trade both increased significantly during the Chalcolithic period. Popular items that were traded included vessels carved out of basalt rock, copper, thin flint scrapers, obsidian, sickle blades and ivory statuettes. The raw materials used to craft these objects came from regions scattered throughout the Levant—from eastern Turkey in the north to Egypt in the south. By using statistical analyses, petrography (the study of rocks and minerals found in artifacts with the aim of identifying their sources) and scanning electron microscopes (SEM), archaeologists have been able to discover the intensity and nature of this ancient trade.