Early Sumerian Metalwork. Evidence of metalwork in certain periods of Mesopotamian history is lacking. Because there are no natural deposits in the region, metal was always a precious commodity. As a result, metal objects were frequently melted down so that the metal in them could be re-used. In the Late Uruk period (circa 3300 - circa 2900 B.C.E.) metal casting using the lost-wax process appeared, probably stimulated by technological developments near metal sources in Anatolia and the Levant. During the Early Dynastic period (circa 2900 - circa 2340 B.C.E.), this technique was used to produce metal objects of extraordinary artistic quality. A copper model of a chariot pulled by four onagers (wild asses) comes from Tell Agrab, and a copper figure of a double jar supported by a pair of wrestlers was found in nearby Khafajeh. Also from Khafajeh are three copper statuettes designed as...