The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished RacesAllen, Emory Adams
History
The Prehistoric World; Or, Vanished Races
Allen, Emory Adams
Archaeology; Indians; Prehistoric peoples
We can readily see that a knowledge of iron would spread in much
the same way as did bronze. When first introduced, it would be
rare and costly, and so would be used sparingly. Bronze axes have
been found with the edge of iron. Afterwards, as it became more
abundant, it would be used altogether for cutting instruments and
weapons, while bronze, being more easily worked, would still be
used for ornaments, brooches, etc. At Hallstadt, in Austria, was
discovered a cemetery which evidently belongs to a time when iron
was taking the place of bronze. In this case, the implements of
bronze are those forms which we have learned were produced near
the close of the Bronze Age. The iron implements are not those
forms best suited for that metal, but imitations of those of
bronze.5 We remember when bronze was first introduced, the
weapons were simply copies of those forms already made in stone.6
We may suppose that a knowledge of iron would spread rapidly. The
knowledge of metallurgy necessary for the production of bronze
was at this time widely disseminated. It would require,
therefore, but a hint to start them in experiments. In the
dissemination of this knowledge, commerce, of course, played a
most important part. Whenever the early Greek and Roman writers
have occasion to mention the arms of the less civilized tribes of
Europe, we learn they were of iron. This shows that at a very
early time this knowledge had spread all over Europe.7
It is scarcely necessary to remark that the use of iron would not
drive out the use of bronze. That would still be used for many
purposes; and even stone would continue in use, at least for some
purposes. At the battle of Marathon, arrow-heads and lances of
stone were largely used. We can easily understand how, by one of
a number of causes, some rude tribes, yet unacquainted with the
use of metal, would come to occupy the site of some settlement,
the inhabitants of which had been in the Bronze or Iron Age. This
actually happened at ancient Troy, where the remains of a
stone-using folk have been found above those of a people using
metal. This, though an exception to the general rule, need give
us no surprise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account