This commodity's "wootz" variety was imported to the Middle East from India and was vital for Damascus' famous weapons.
The modern Mandarin word for a part of processing this resource is the same as the word for "stir frying" and Han-era texts describe another part of its processing as "harmonizing the hard and the soft". The presence of this resource is used as an archaeological marker of the Bantu expansion and its use at Ogoui in the Central African Republic, supposedly dating back to 2000 BCE, is controversially its oldest known processing site. A monument made of this resource shows signs of having been hit by a cannonball during an attack by Nadir Shah and was moved from its original location to the Qutb complex in (*) Delhi. This commodity's "wootz" variety was imported to the Middle East from India and was vital for Damascus' famous weapons. For 10 points, identify this commodity that's namesake "Age" followed the Bronze Age.
The modern Mandarin word for a part of processing this resource is the same as the word for "stir frying" and Han-era texts describe another part of its processing as "harmonizing the hard and the soft".
Iron (accept steel)