Archaeologists have recently discovered that metalworking played a much bigger role in ancient Mongolia than previously thought. For a long time, little was known about how mobile herding communities used and produced metals. But new research is showing clear evidence of mining, smelting, and bronze-working across the steppe. These findings reveal that metal use was widespread among Mongolia’s ancient peoples and that they were deeply connected to the broader networks of technology and exchange across Eurasia, as Noost Bayarkhuu explains.