The Bronze Age is a prehistoric period dated to approximately 3300 B.C. to 1200 B.C. It arose following the Chalcolithic period during which early metals of copper and gold were crafted, as well as the first alloys of copper and tin, from which bronze is derived.
The first bronze pieces produced were predominantly used for tools and jewelry, gold was a prized material. Artisans used gold to fashion into heavy jewelry and elaborate vessels used in ritual offerings dedicated to the forces of nature such as water, trees, and mountains.
In Europe, the earliest evidence of metallurgy using copper have been found in sites dating to before 4000 B.C. It's written that the emergence of metallurgy was tied to the presence of specialized artisans, socioeconomic evolution that involved long-distance trading, and advanced knowledge of minerals and ores and their thermal reactions.
Gold necklaces weighing more than four pounds, dating to the Middle and Late Bronze Age have also been discovered. These, along with cups and goblets of gold decorated with stamped circles of the sun, were at times buried with jewels and bronze vessels, constituting typical offerings by the western people. The Miceaneans used gold in the glorification of dead heroes.
One vessel discovered at Knossos and dated about 1700 to 1600 B.C., is the bull's head rhyton, carved from black steatite and gold leaf horns, was used as drinking vessel.
In terms of fashion, one of the most famous discoveries was the Egtvd coffins in Jutland, Denmark. Contained within an oak coffin were the remains of a young girl attired in linen bodice with half-length sleeves, short skirt which featured a series of linen strings attached to a sash wound twice around the waist, and a bone comb.
As arranged during the Bronze Age, the megalithic monument Stonehenge, located in Southern England, is not a construction for funerary use, but instead is considered an astronomical temple and testifies to the birth of the science of astronomy.
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Works cited:
- Mohen, Jean-Pierre, and Eluère Christiane. The Bronze Age in Europe. Harry N Abrams Inc.,US, 2001.
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