bronzeage

The Bronze Age is a period in the development of human societies characterized by the widespread use of bronze, an alloy of copper and tin. The onset and duration of the Bronze Age varied by region, roughly spanning from about 3300 to 1200 BCE in parts of the Near East, Europe, and Asia. In some areas it followed the Neolithic and preceded the Iron Age, while other regions experienced later starts or longer continuities with earlier metallurgy. Bronze’s greater hardness and its ability to be cast into durable shapes enabled tools, weapons, armor, and ritual objects, contributing to changes in daily life and social organization.

Bronze production required mining, metallurgy, and specialized craftsmanship, often organized into workshops. The demand for tin and copper fostered long-distance exchange networks spanning oceans and continents. Bronze artifacts include swords and spears, axes, chisels, pins, mirrors, and vessels, as well as intricate ornaments. The period saw the rise of urban centers and centralized authorities in some regions, and in others the appearance of writing systems, record keeping, and more specialized labor.

The Bronze Age gradually gave way to the Iron Age as ironworking spread and became more economical, with some regions entering the Iron Age around the middle to late first millennium BCE. The transition was uneven across regions, and in certain areas Bronze continued to be used for ceremonial or prestige objects for longer. Today, the Bronze Age is studied mainly through archaeological remains such as metal artifacts, slag, and workshop debris, which illuminate technology, trade, and social structure.