This document summarizes information about the Bronze Age, including its timeline of approximately 3500-1200 BCE, key characteristics like the development of bronze alloy and early writing/urbanization. It discusses the archaeologist V.Gordan Childe and his studies. Several Bronze Age civilizations are also outlined, such as the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, Minoans in Crete, Cycladic and Helladic cultures in the Aegean islands/mainland. The document concludes by noting that scholars believe a combination of natural disasters like droughts and earthquakes, along with famine and invasions, likely contributed to the collapse of major Bronze Age societies.
2. VERE GORDAN CHILDE
He was born on 14th April 1892 in Sydney and died on 19th October 1957 at new
south wales in Australia
He was an Australian archaeologist who specialized in the study of European
prehistory. He spent most of his life in the United Kingdom, working as an
academic for the University of Edinburgh and then the Institute of
Archaeology, London.
He was also renowned for his emphasis on the role of revolutionary
technological and economic developments in human society, such as the
Neolithic Revolution and the Urban Revolution.
3. BROZE AGE
Bronze age is a historic period. It was lasted approximately about 3500 to
1200 BCE.
It is characterized by use of bronze and the presence of writing in some area
and early features of urban revolution
This period is named after its most important technological basis that is the
crafting of bronze. Bronze was important because it revolutionized warfare
and to a lesser extent, agriculture
It is alloy of tin and copper. An alloy is a combination of two metals which
become more harder and sharper than the previous metal.
4. DIVISION OF BRONZE AGE
The bronze age is divided into 3 categories
1. Early bronze age – 3500 – 2000 BCE
2. Middle bronze age – 2000 – 1600 BCE
3. Late bronze age – 1600 – 1200 BCE
5. The story of human culture divided into 3 categories according to the
material that is Employed generally for cutting the various implements.
Stone age – It is lasted approximately 3.4 million years ago and between 4000
to 2000 BCE. It refers to an era when stone was widely used for making
various kinds of tools
Bronze age – The man has learned to that certain kind of stone compelled by
heating under suitable conditions to field a substance which while hot can be
modelled but on cooling retains its shape and become more harder and more
durable than stone. This epoch is termed as bronze age.
6. TIMELINE OF DIFFERENT AGES IN
GREAT BRITAIN
1. Stone Age – lasted about 1000 years ago
2. Iron Age – lasted about 2500 years ago
3. Bronze – lasted about 1700 years ago
In Northern Europe, bronze played a leading role in industry for short period of
time while bronze was in regular use at agean area, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus
valley.
7. DISCOVERY OF BRONZE
First smiths discovered that a hard and reddish substance that is copper
become plastic on heating or by hammering it may be shaped into imitations
of simpler forms of stone or bone tools
They came to know that any shape or size can be obtained from the copper
by heating or hammering. The special characteristics of copper invented by
Smiths or craftsman so they have privileged position in society
The usage of bronze was first occurred in southern Mesopotamia by Sumerians
they discovered bronze could be created by adding tin to the copper.
8. DIFFERENT CIVILIZATION DURING
BRONZE AGE
1. Sumerian Civilization
It is flourished during the bronze age in southern Mesopotamia
Palaces and graves was uncovered at kish region of southern Mesopotamia and
revealed that there was a advanced civilization ruling at whole southern
Mesopotamia.
Egypt possessed abundant supplies of good flint to Sumerians as it was used in
agriculture by them.
Mesopotamia didn’t provided any natural resources or raw material to Sumerians
therefore they were dependent on foreign trade.
Some of the empires lasted during the peak of the Bronze Age, especially the
Akkadian and Assyrian Empires. The Assyrian Empire era utilized bronze metals in
agricultural tools, construction, and definitely military equipment. Strong city-
states, like Babylon, were developed during this peak period. Writing systems
were developed, artworks were created, technology advanced, and a strong
organizational structure lasted in several cities.
9. MINOAN CIVILIZATION
It is a another bronze age civilization.
It was located in crete
It was flourished from approximately from 3000 to 1100 BCE.
Minoan descended from Neolithic population flying from menes
Minoan Civilization was further divided into early, middle and late minoan.
They were further sub – divided.
The capital was knossos.
The provincial variant of minoan Culture termed late mycenaean ruled over
the mainland of greece and also extend towards cyprus
10. CYCLADIC CIVILIZATION
It is a bronze age civilization and it lasted approximately 3200 to 1050 BCE.
It was occurred at cyclades island in agean sea
The island is rich in copper, energy and marble
The was occupied by prospectors from Anatolia
Monuments with walls of stone , graves of varied form suggest that the
Civilization was less advanced than minoan Civilization
11. HELLADIC CIVILIZATION
The mainland of cyclades island known as helladic . It derived from greek
word hellas
They used glaze paint derived from crete
12. CONCLUSION
What caused bronze age collapse?
Major Bronze Age civilizations, including Mycenaean Greece, the Hittite
Empire in Turkey and Ancient Egypt fell within a short period of time. Ancient
cities were abandoned, trade routes were lost and literacy declined
throughout the region.
Scholars believe a combination of natural catastrophes may have brought
down several Bronze Age empires. Archaeological evidence suggests a
succession of severe droughts in the eastern Mediterranean region over a 150-
year period from 1250 to 1100 B.C. likely figured prominently in the collapse.
Earthquakes, famine, sociopolitical unrest and invasion by nomadic tribes may
also have played a role.
