The Arrival of the Bronze Age

The Bronze Age is a title that can be given to after any point in a culture’s history when the knowledge of mixing tin with copper becomes common. Copper and precious metals such as gold and silver are malleable even without heating, though copper requires some heating in order to hammer it most effectively. Eventually, metal smiths in Southwest Asia and other regions of the ancient world discovered that heating cooper to the point of melting and mixing it with tin produced a strong alloy known as bronze. Bronze was stronger than copper and less brittle than tin.

The Application of the Bronze Age to Ancient Civilizations

The Bronze Age is not one specific period in history. In fact, for some regions and peoples of the world, the Bronze Age either happened a short time ago or never happened at all. It represents a crucial stage of development for most of the major players in the history of the world. The civilizations around the Mediterranean, in South Asia and in the Fra East all progressed through this stage thousands of years ago. Where the technology and initial ideas for the creation of bronze first developed is still unknown and will probably remain undiscovered.

The Attainment of the Bronze Age in Mesopotamia and Egypt

During the 3^rd millennium BC, the Bronze Age arrived in Mesopotamia. The earliest stories from this region and period do not make mention of this alloy. The Epic of Gilgamesh, which appeared at this time, makes very clear mention of the walls of Uruk and compares their luster to that of copper. The elements of this story probably derive from events that occurred during the Chalcolithic in Mesopotamia. The Bronze Age appears to arrive at the same time in Egypt, perhaps even a little earlier.

Technological Superiority

In the past as in the present, it was usually the force with the most technical superiority that prevailed in combat. Bronze, and the ability to forge it from ready supplies of copper and tin, granted any society the ability to overcome a lesser-equipped population. This ability was not simply a question of know how. Few places on earth have significant supplies of tin and copper in the exact same region. In order for any society to forge bronze, it required trade. More than that, it required an economy that allowed many workers to follow trades outside of agriculture.

People capable of making bronze overcame other cultures because of the superiority of this metal. It would be simplistic to say that these conquests were due merely to improved weaponry but there is an element of truth in such a statement. Bronze weapons took a better edge than copper and held it. They could pierce primitive wicker shields and other personal defenses.

However, weapons were not the only items made from bronze. Farmers could till more land with bronze plow shares and spend less time replacing tools. Bronze Age societies were equipped to outlast and outperform their competition in Mesopotamia and anywhere else in the world.