ARCHAEOLOGY INTO FOUR PERIODS. 3 



III. The Bronze Age, in which Bronze was used for arms 

 and cutting instruments of all kinds. 



IV. The Iron Age, in which that metal had superseded 

 bronze for arms, axes, knives, etc. ; bronze, however, still being 

 in common use for ornaments, and frequently also for the 

 handles of swords and other arms, though never for the blades. 



Stone weapons, however, of many kinds were still in use 

 during the Age of Bronze, and even during that of Iron, so 

 that the mere presence of a few stone implements is not in 

 itself sufficient evidence that any given " find " belongs to 

 the Stone Age. In order to prevent misapprehension, it may 

 also be well to state, at once, that, for the present, I only 

 apply this classification to Europe, though, in all probability, 

 it might be extended also to the neighbouring regions of Asia 

 and Africa. As regards other civilized countries, China and 

 Japan for instance, we, as yet, know but little of their pre- 

 historic archaeology, though recent researches have gone far to 

 prove that the use of iron was there also preceded by bronze, 

 and bronze by stone. It is evident, also, that some nations, 

 such as the Fuegians, Andamaners, etc., are even now, or 

 were very lately, in an Age of Stone. 



It is probable that gold was the metal which first attracted 

 the attention of man ; it is found in many rivers, and by 

 its bright colour would certainly attract even the rudest 

 savages, who are known to be very fond of personal deco- 

 ration. Silver does not appear to have been discovered 

 until long after gold, and was apparently preceded by both 

 copper and tin; for it rarely, if ever,* occurs in tumuli of 

 the Bronze Age ; but, however this may be, copper seems to 

 have been the metal which first became of real importance to 

 Man ; no doubt owing to the fact that its ores are abundant 

 in many countries, and can be smelted without difficulty; 

 and that, while iron is hardly ever found except in the form 



* Horse ferales, p. 60. 

 B 2 



