What was the Bronze Age Period?
The Bronze age was the period from 3300 BC to 1200 BC when people used bronze for everything. The Bronze age comes after the stone age but before the Iron Age. In the stone age, the flint was shaped and used as a weapon and tool whereas, during the Bronze age period, the stone was gradually replaced by bronze. The Bronze could further be mixed into molds to form useful items. The Bronze age period marks the beginning of the period when humans first started using metals. The day at which the bronze age marks its beginning differs with regions. For example, in Greece and China, the Bronze Age period began before 3000 BCE, whereas in Britain it did not start until about 1900 BCE.
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What does Bronze Age Civilization Mean?
The Bronze age is a term used to describe a period in the ancient world that spanned from 3300 BC to 1200 BC. The Bronze age civilization period saw the emergence of increasingly civilized ancient states, some of which evolved into eminent empires. It was a period in which long-distance trade networks and diplomatic exchange between the states became a permanent outlook of political, cultural, and economic life in the eastern Mediterranean region. In short, it was the period during which civilization itself spread and flourished across the area.
What were The Early Bronze Age Tools?
Ancient Sumers were the first civilizations that added tin and copper to make bronze. The Bronze is considered to be the best metal for making tools and weapons. According to archaeologists, the transformation from copper to metal took place around 3000 B.C. The Bronze age tools such as Stone and Clay molds were used in the early Bronze age for casting metal objects. For example, a flat stone carved with a hollow negative shape would have been used as a mold for spears and axes. The other elaborated molds that were used to shape other objects include palstaves or flanged axe heads and socketed axe heads. These tools were used to chop trees to make room for agriculture. Following are the stone tools used by the people during the early bronze age:
“Barbed and Tanged” Arrowhead: This stone tool is attached to the wooden shafts to make arrows for hunting.
Piercers - It is used for making small holes in things such as wood, bone, or leather.
Side Scrapers: It is used for cleaning animal skins to make leather.
Edge-Trimmed Knives: It is attached to wooden handles and used for cutting knives.
Thumbnail Scrapers: It is used for creating small objects or carvings.
Bronze Age Timeline
3700 BC
The Bronze Age started in different parts of the world at different times. The procedure of combining copper and tin moves slowly from place to place. Also, many areas had no tin and/or copper to make the new metal.
3769 BC: Near and The Middle East
Bronze was already in use during this time. It is still not exactly determined where or how bronze was first discovered. By around 3500 BC, farm tools and weapons were being made of this new metal in these areas.
3500 BC: Bronze Age Begins in Bohemia
The Bronze during this period is being used in the Mediterranean and Eastern European areas. This new metal is expensive to make. Also, a craftsman is needed to make this new alloy.
2500 BC: Indus Valley (About 2500 BC)
In India, the Indus Valley civilization is a large early trading center. Bronze tools, weapons, statuary, jewelry, and even toys have been discovered during this time period.
2400 BC: China (About 2400 BC)
The population of Longshan in China lived from around 3000 BC to 2400 BC. Toward the end of this period, these people started using bronze to make tools and weapons.
2300 BC: Europe
The Bronze Age in Europe starts about 2300 BC. Few tools were made in the beginning, but by 1200 BC bronze had replaced all stone tools.
2000 BC: Britain
Bronze starts to be used in Britain. Eventually, the people in Britain made items such as axe heads, knives, spearheads, razors, and swords. The vast use of bronze continues to about 500 BC.
1700 BC: Yellow River Valley
The Shang Dynasty of China uses bronze regularly. They even set up bronze-working communities. The wife of King Wuding named Lady Hao, died around 1200 BC and is buried with many items for the afterlife including bronze vessels, armor, bells, tools, knives, and tigers.
1650 BC: Mycenaean Civilization
The Mycenaean civilization, presently located in Greece, used bronze until about 1100 BC. The southern coastal community of Phylos had employed almost 400 laborers for their bronze-working industry.
1640 BC: Egypt
The Egyptians didn't use bronze until they were founded by the Hyksos around 1640 BC. The chariots and weapons made from bronze are brought by Hyksos.
1500 BC: Start of the Middle Bronze Age (About 1500 BC)
During this period, the Bronze was found in Western Europe. The use of bronze in undeveloped areas of Northern Europe did not start until about 1000 BC.
1250 BC: Alps and Central and Eastern Europe
During this time, bronze swords and helmets were made in these areas.
1122 BC: Yellow River Area, China
After the Shang Dynasty got defeated, the Chou Dynasty continued to use bronze-working techniques until iron was introduced after 770 BC.
1000 BC: Korea
The Chinese during this period introduced bronze-working to the Koreans around 1000 BC.
300 BC: Japan
The Japanese during this period were using bronze and iron tools that may have been brought over from South Korea. Though it developed slowly, the Bronze Age was an incredible time of technological development that helped early civilizations to flourish and expand.
FAQs on Bronze Age
1. What are the three main prehistoric ages in history?
The three-age system divides prehistory into distinct periods based on the dominant material used for toolmaking. These ages are:
- The Stone Age: The earliest and longest period, where tools were primarily made from stone.
- The Bronze Age: The subsequent period, characterised by the widespread use of bronze, an alloy of copper and tin.
- The Iron Age: The final period, where iron metallurgy was developed, leading to the use of iron and steel for tools and weapons.
2. How is bronze made, and why was it so important?
Bronze is a metal alloy created by melting and mixing copper with another metal, most commonly tin. Its importance stems from its superiority over materials used before it. Bronze is significantly harder and more durable than pure copper or stone, which allowed for the creation of more efficient tools, stronger weapons, and longer-lasting armour. This technological advantage transformed agriculture, warfare, and society.
3. Why is this historical period called the 'Bronze Age'?
The period is named the 'Bronze Age' because the discovery and widespread adoption of bronze as the primary material for tools and weapons was its defining technological characteristic. This innovation was so transformative, leading to major advancements in civilization, that historians and archaeologists use it to label the entire era, distinguishing it from the preceding Stone Age and the subsequent Iron Age.
4. Which were the major civilizations of the Bronze Age?
Several prominent civilizations flourished during the Bronze Age, marking the rise of the first cities and empires. Key examples include:
- Mesopotamia: Located in the Fertile Crescent, it was home to the Sumerians, Akkadians, and Babylonians, who developed writing (cuneiform).
- Ancient Egypt: Known for its pyramids and hieroglyphic script, it thrived along the Nile River.
- Indus Valley Civilization: Located in modern-day Pakistan and India, it featured well-planned cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
- Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations: Early Greek cultures in the Aegean region that were central to trade.
- Shang Dynasty China: Known for its advanced bronze casting techniques used for ritual vessels.
5. What were some common tools and weapons made during the Bronze Age?
The use of bronze allowed for the creation of a wide variety of sophisticated items. Common Bronze Age tools and weapons included swords, daggers, axes, spearheads, and arrowheads. Beyond warfare, artisans also crafted helmets, shields, sickles for farming, chisels for stonework, and personal items like razors, pins, and jewellery.
6. What was the Chalcolithic Age and how did it lead to the Bronze Age?
The Chalcolithic Age, or Copper-Stone Age, was a transitional period between the Neolithic (late Stone Age) and the Bronze Age. During this time, humans continued to use stone tools but also began to experiment with metallurgy by crafting tools from pure copper. This period was crucial as it laid the foundation for metalworking, allowing humans to develop the skills needed to later discover that alloying copper with tin created the much stronger and more useful metal, bronze, which officially began the Bronze Age.
7. How did the Bronze Age differ from the Iron Age that followed it?
The primary difference between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age was the core metal used. While the Bronze Age relied on bronze (a copper-tin alloy), the Iron Age was defined by the smelting of iron. This shift had massive consequences: iron ore is far more common than tin, making iron tools cheaper and more accessible to the general population. Technologically, iron requires higher smelting temperatures, representing a more advanced form of metallurgy. This widespread availability of strong metal democratised farming and warfare, leading to larger armies and different societal structures.
8. What were the most significant social changes that occurred during the Bronze Age?
The technological advancements of the Bronze Age triggered profound social transformations. The most significant changes include:
- Urbanization: The development of the first true cities and state-level societies.
- Social Stratification: The emergence of a distinct hierarchy with kings, priests, warriors, and artisans, as control over metal resources and trade routes created wealth disparities.
- Specialised Labour: Increased agricultural efficiency allowed people to pursue professions other than farming, such as metallurgy, pottery, and soldiery.
- Organised Warfare: Bronze weapons and armour led to the formation of organised armies and large-scale conflicts between emerging states.
9. Besides tools, what other important advancements define the Bronze Age?
While bronze metallurgy is its namesake, the era saw several other critical advancements that shaped human history. These include the invention of writing systems like cuneiform and hieroglyphs to manage records and trade, the widespread use of the wheel for pottery and transportation (including war chariots), and the establishment of vast, long-distance trade networks to acquire raw materials like copper and tin.
