Analytical studies of Bronze Age material have usually attempted to correlate the trace element composition with typology or provenancing studies the chemical processes and compositional changes that take place between the ore source and the finished metal artifact, however, can also be inferred from careful analyses. The presence of lead isotopes from diverse sources illustrates the unreliability of certain data; nevertheless, trace element analysis coupled with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of metal inclusions can provide a technical history of the metal: ore type, smelting process, degree of refining, and reuse. What one learns from the presence of iron and the use of different metals to produce alloys is discussed. -- AATA