Ironwork has been considered as the last stage in metalworking. Before ironwork, there were copper, bronze and golden works. The first two of them can be observed in nearly all cultures beyond the Stone Age. In the excavation places in the Minusinsk and Altay regions that were included within the environment of Afanasyevo culture, there were various knives, bradawls and strings and the other ornaments made out of copper pertaining to the years of 3000 BC. In the era of Andronovo culture that was considered as one of the first Turkish cultural centres, gold was excavated -for the first time in the entire Central and Northern Asia. In this period, "a very powerful and rich social life was observed" and the Altay region was actually the centre of the "gold industry". The influences of metalworking in this region could be felt in the region that extended towards the Tien Shan Mountains in the south (2nd millennium BC). The findings of Çu and Arpa and Burma-Çap had always had the traces of Andronovo culture. Some of the "Indo-Germanic" supporters had also accepted the Altay influence over the Indo-European people in respect of metalworking.
However, the main metal that had the highest importance in the economy and military profession was iron. Sometimes Africa, and sometimes the Southern India and sometimes the eastern Anatolia were determined as the place where iron was first extracted. Although it has been alleged that iron was known in Egypt, and then in China, Troy and Mesopotamia, this situation does not have a significant value in respect of history even if these allegations were correct. This mineral of iron that was found in the meteoric and telluric (ore) form was insufficient in respect of amount and it had hardly any use.
The actual Iron Age was initiated with the production of tools and weapons out of this metal with abundant amounts. These productions have been observed in the Altay Mountains and the source regions of Yenisey River- within the environs of the ancient Turkish cultural centres. As it has been known, Altay people were famous as talented ironworkers from of old.
In the historical periods, hard and soft steel of high quality was observed in the same region (especially within the environs of Salinçak and Onugug). There were some iron thawing quarries in the Northern Altay Mountains and iron mines and casting places within the environs of Ulan-ede (the east of Baikal) in the period of the Gokturk State.
According to the Chinese records, there was iron ore that was extracted within the environs of the upper sections of Yenisey River. There were magnet minerals of high quality within the environs of Abakan and iron ores along the Tuba River. In other words, it has been perceived that there were abundant minerals of iron metal that could constitute the beginning point for the opening of a new era in the history of mankind.
Then, this metal was worked on. The definite date of the ironworks in the Central Asia could not be determined from the materials that were found in the Sepulchres. However, it must have coincided with the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Actually, the domination of the Turks over wide and extensive regions in those periods could only be expressed with the frequent usage of the iron tools and articles as a shooting weapon besides horses that gave them superiority in respect of speed.
The successes and victories of the Asian Huns that had founded the first historical great Turkish Empire could only be understood as result of the joint evaluation of the speed of their horses and the defeating power of the iron. These victories must have been supported with the opportunities and facilities that they had in the past. As a matter of fact, there were some articles made out of iron that were found in the 1st layer of Kargalı sepulchre (in the Tien Shan Mountains) that was dated back to the 1st millennium BC. This influence was diffused to this region from the Yenisey region. On the other hand, let's state that one of the most ancient Turkish words was demir (tieh-fan = iron) (and Kılıç= king-lu= sword) that was cited within the Chinese resources written before BC.
From that date on, the iron age that started to diffuse to the entire world had followed the following directions in the periods stated below: in India at the end of the 2nd millennium BC, in Egypt in the year of 1200, in the Eastern Mediterranean regions in the year of 1100, in the Central Europe in the year of 800, and in China in the years of 300.