THE BRONZE AGE

THE BRONZE AGE

Bronze Age, the time in the development of any human culture, before the introduction of iron, when most tools and weapons were made of bronze.

Chronologically, the term is of strictly local value, for bronze came into use, and was again replaced by iron, at different times in different parts of the world. It generally succeeds a culture's Copper Age.

Archaeological discoveries since 1960 have upset traditional theories concerning the origins of copper and bronze technologies. It had been thought that the use of bronze had originated in the Middle East, but discoveries near Ban Chiang, Thailand, indicate that bronze technology was known there as early as 4500 bc.

This preceded the working of bronze in the Middle East by several hundred years. Bronze objects have been found in Asia Minor that date from before 3000 bc. At first this alloy was used sparingly, mostly for decorative purposes; the tin needed to make it was not available in the region.

Regular imports of tin from Cornwall in Britain during the 2d millennium bc, however, made possible wider use of bronze in the Middle East, and it was eventually utilized for tools and weapons.

Raw copper was being pounded into tools and ornaments as early as 10,000 bc. Later discoveries at Rudna Glava in Yugoslavia have shown that copper was in use there in 4000 bc, although bronze was not made at that time.

By 3000 bc bronze began to be used in Greece. In China the Bronze Age did not begin until 1800 bc. The pre-Columbian civilizations of the Americas had no bronze technology until about ad 1000.
The Bronze Age in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean has been divided into three phases early, middle, and late.

The early phase is characterized by increased use of the metal, from the sporadic to the common. It was the time of the Sumerian civilization and the rise of Akkad to prominence in Mesopotamia; it also generated the spectacular treasures of Troy.

Babylon reached its height of glory during the middle Bronze Age. Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece were major late-Bronze-Age civilizations. The Bronze Age there ended about 1200 bc, after which iron technology became common.