The Bronze Age is a time period that is widely recognised for its contributions to the development of human civilisation. During this time, the first evidence of writing and use of metal tools appeared. It was also an era of great social change. From new technologies to the establishment of trade networks, the Bronze Age was a period of significant progress. Here are the top 10 facts about the Bronze Age that you should know.
1. The Bronze age was between 4000BC and 2000BC.
Different societies entered the Bronze Age between these dates but at different times.
Britain entered it between 2100BC until around 650BC.
Embed from Getty Images2. The Bronze Age was in the middle of the Stone Age and the Iron Age.
You have probably heard of the Stone Age and the Iron Age.
The Bronze Age is the age that fell in the middle of these.
3. People used bronze to make weapons and tools.
People stopped using stone to make tools and weapons and used bronze instead.
This is because bronze is much more durable and stronger than stone was.
Bronze enabled people to invent lots more and have better weapons and tools.
They made clay and sand moulds, poured the liquid bronze into them and left it to cool.
Embed from Getty Images4. Metals were found by people mining for them.
At the start, metals were found from rocks that were on the Earth’s surface.
However as time went on, people started to mine for the metals instead.
Mining is when people dig very deep and can extract metals from under the surface.
Mines have been around for years. Learn all about Victorian mines below.
5. The wheel was invented!
What would we do without wheels?
You have wheels on your bike… on the car.. and even on planes!
The wheel was first invented in the Bronze Age and was used for a pottery wheel.
Embed from Getty Images
6. The first forms of writing started.
The first forms of writing started in the Bronze Age.
It is believed they started in Mesopotamia (which is mainly modern Iraq) in the form of writing called cuneiform.
Also, in Egypt they used a form of writing called hieroglyphs.
Embed from Getty Images7. In the Bronze Age people mainly travelled by boat.
In the Bronze Age, people had to travel large distances to exchange goods with each other.
This could range from tin, copper and bronze items that had been made.
Long wooden boats were used to travel these long distances and were brilliant for transporting heavy goods.
8. Tin and copper were mixed together to make bronze.
To make bronze, you need to mix tin and copper together.
The tin and copper would be melted down and then mixed together to make bronze.
This made for a much stronger material!
9. Irrigation was invented.
Irrigation is when water is supplied to crops or land to help them grow.
This helped farmers as crops were able to grow all year round.
Embed from Getty Images10. People lived in houses that were made of materials like wood and stone.
People in the Bronze Age lived in houses.
They made them from wood and stone.
The wood and stone was held together by something called wattle.
Wattle is wood woven with twigs.
Embed from Getty Images“Casting Bronze Age Swords” by Karsten Wentink is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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