*** ancient civilizations Iron Age ancient civilizations Iron Age








Iron Age (1200-500 BC)


Figure 1.--This illustration shows an artist's idea of preparations for the cremation of the Iron Age chieftain at a site near Folly Lane. Source: St Albans Museums.

The coming of the iron age brought fundamental change in human civilization. Iron was known to civilized society during the Bronze Age. Iron is the fourth most common element on earth, much more common than the bronze elements (copper and tin), primarily because it was formed in stars--the heaviest metal to be formed in stars. It was not, however, commonly used for millennia because it was so difficult to smelt. The basic problem was the higher smelting temperatures needed and which ancient metal workers found so difficult to achieve. Advances in metallurgy eventually enabled iron tools to be fashioned. Iron gradually replaced bronze over a broad time-line (bout 1100-500 BC). This occurred as metallurgical technology improved. Iron may have been used at a very early period (about 3000 BC). This was because the metal was so common, but for two millennial the usage was very limited because it was so difficult to work with. The time line for the more intensive use of iron varies geographically, primarily because of varied technological capabilities. The process seems to have first developed in the Middle East and southeastern Europe (about 1200 BC). For unknown reasons it developed in China much later (about 600 BC). Suddenly metal workers as technology developed began to realize the superior capabilities of iron (1200-1100 BC). It is at this time that we begin to see large numbers of iron tools and weapons and the rapid spread of iron working technology. As iron was so plentiful, ancient civilizations could make far greater use of metal. Even common people could have iron implements and tools. There were immense cultural consequences. New patterns of more permanent settlement developed. And iron weapons put military arms in the hands of the masses for the first time. Until the iron age, only very wealthy societies could afford the bronze weapons needed to arm warriors. And even wealthy societies, because of the basic agricultural methods, could only afford relatively small armies. It meant that ancient civilizations were commonly dominated by a small warrior elite. It also meant that settled agrarian states while rich, because of their small armies were vulnerable to the poorer, less civilized, nomadic steppe people. Iron created a new dynamic. Much larger armies could raised and armed. This made ancient civilization more secure from outside invasion, but also meant that the ruling elite needed more popular domestic support which was managed in variety of ways. It is for this reason that iron is sometime called the 'democratic' metal. It is no accident that democracy in ancient Greece first appeared during the Iron Age. And iron gave even relatively poor small states, like the Greeks the ability to arm themselves and stand up to the great Persian Empire.







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Created: 5:49 AM 9/25/2022
Last updated: 5:49 AM 9/25/2022