﻿OLD 
  WORLD 
  ARCHEOLOGY 
  — 
  CASANOWICZ. 
  437 
  

  

  and 
  fast 
  line, 
  and 
  the 
  terms 
  " 
  Stone 
  Age," 
  " 
  Bronze 
  Age," 
  and 
  " 
  Iron 
  

   Age 
  " 
  denote 
  rather 
  stages 
  of 
  human 
  culture 
  than 
  divisions 
  of 
  time. 
  

   In 
  a 
  general 
  way 
  it 
  is 
  assumed 
  that 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  metal, 
  which 
  consti- 
  

   tutes 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  steps 
  in 
  human 
  progress, 
  began 
  

   3000 
  to 
  4000 
  B. 
  C. 
  

  

  The 
  oldest 
  piece 
  of 
  bronze 
  so 
  far 
  known 
  is 
  a 
  rod 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  

   pyramid 
  of 
  Medum, 
  Egypt, 
  which 
  is 
  held 
  to 
  date 
  from 
  3700 
  B. 
  C, 
  

   while 
  Babylonia 
  can 
  show 
  a 
  bronze 
  statuette 
  of 
  Gudea 
  from 
  about 
  

   2500 
  B. 
  C. 
  The 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  Bronze 
  Age 
  in 
  Europe 
  is 
  set 
  in 
  

   the 
  period 
  between 
  200 
  and 
  1800 
  B. 
  C. 
  

  

  By 
  the 
  word 
  " 
  bronze 
  " 
  is 
  designated 
  in 
  archeology 
  a 
  mixed 
  metal 
  

   conrposed 
  chiefly 
  of 
  copper 
  with 
  an 
  alloy 
  of 
  tin, 
  the 
  latter 
  rang- 
  

   ing 
  from 
  20 
  to 
  9 
  per 
  cent. 
  Besides 
  copper 
  and 
  tin 
  there 
  are 
  found 
  

   in 
  ancient 
  bronzes 
  appreciable 
  quantities 
  of 
  silver, 
  gold, 
  and 
  zinc, 
  

   although 
  the 
  alloy 
  of 
  copper 
  and 
  zinc, 
  known 
  as 
  brass, 
  was 
  almost 
  

   unknown 
  in 
  antiquity. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  copper 
  was 
  the 
  

   first 
  metal 
  of 
  which 
  implements 
  were 
  made, 
  and 
  that 
  its 
  use 
  may 
  

   have 
  continued 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  before 
  it 
  was 
  discovered 
  that 
  the 
  addi- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  portion 
  of 
  tin 
  not 
  only 
  rendered 
  it 
  more 
  readily 
  

   fusible 
  but 
  added 
  to 
  its 
  elasticity 
  and 
  hardness. 
  But 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  

   evidence 
  of 
  a 
  " 
  copper 
  age," 
  or 
  of 
  a 
  universal 
  stage 
  of 
  culture 
  char- 
  

   acterized 
  by 
  the 
  sole 
  use 
  of 
  copper. 
  There 
  is 
  also 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  

   gold 
  was 
  known 
  in 
  some 
  parts 
  of 
  Europe 
  in 
  the 
  Neolithic 
  Age, 
  and 
  

   it 
  may 
  possibly 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  first 
  metal 
  worked 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  

   world. 
  

  

  The 
  use 
  of 
  bronze 
  was 
  far 
  more 
  extensive 
  and 
  varied 
  in 
  ancient 
  

   than 
  in 
  modern 
  times. 
  It 
  was 
  employed 
  not 
  only 
  for 
  decorative 
  

   purposes, 
  but 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  furniture, 
  household 
  uten- 
  

   sils, 
  armor, 
  and 
  other 
  objects. 
  

  

  Several 
  processes 
  were 
  employed 
  by 
  the 
  ancients 
  for 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   duction 
  of 
  works 
  in 
  bronze 
  : 
  For 
  implements 
  and 
  utensils, 
  hammer- 
  

   ing 
  and 
  casting; 
  for 
  statues, 
  solid 
  casting, 
  beaten 
  plates 
  riveted 
  or 
  

   welded 
  together, 
  and 
  hollow 
  casting; 
  for 
  reliefs 
  and 
  decorative 
  

   work, 
  chasing, 
  and 
  repousse 
  work. 
  

  

  The 
  collection 
  of 
  bronzes 
  in 
  the 
  museum 
  comprises 
  tools, 
  as 
  celts 
  

   in 
  their 
  four 
  principal 
  forms, 
  viz, 
  flat, 
  flanged, 
  winged, 
  and 
  

   socketed 
  celts, 
  chisels, 
  knives, 
  razors 
  ; 
  weapons, 
  as 
  swords, 
  spearheads 
  

   and 
  arrowheads; 
  domestic 
  utensils, 
  as 
  pitchers, 
  pails, 
  bowls, 
  dishes, 
  

   lamps, 
  strainers, 
  ladles, 
  cups, 
  scales, 
  etc.; 
  chirurgical 
  instruments; 
  

   ornaments, 
  as 
  fibulae, 
  finger 
  rings, 
  earrings, 
  bracelets, 
  anklets, 
  mir- 
  

   rors, 
  ets., 
  besides 
  masks, 
  helmets, 
  stamps, 
  human 
  and 
  animal 
  fig- 
  

   urines, 
  etc. 
  

  

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