CHAP, xr.] THE METALLURGY OF BRONZE. 407 



Probable Sources of Egyptian and Assyrian Tin. 



There is no reason to suppose that the civilised peoples 

 of the eastern Mediterranean were dependent upon the 

 mines of Europe for their tin. Major Burton has lately 

 proved the existence of vast heaps of cinders, and other 

 proofs of mining and smelting, in the land of Midian. 

 From these mines it is very likely that the metals were 

 obtained " the gold, and the silver, the brass (probably 

 bronze), the tin, and the lead/' 1 taken by the children 

 of Israel from the Midianites at the close of the life of 

 Moses. Tin is also found, according to Von Baer, 2 in 

 Khorassan, as well as copper and lead.. It is far more 

 probable that Assyria and Egypt were supplied with tin 

 from these two regions, than from the mines of the far 

 west of Europe, or from the remote tin regions of the far 

 east, from Malacca and the Island of Banca. 



The Metallurgy of Bronze. 



There is no reason to suppose that the art of mixing 

 tin with copper was discovered in Europe, and in this 

 manner of producing an alloy more fusible than copper and 

 harder than either of its constituents. From Dr. Robin- 

 son's experience 3 it appears that twelve per cent of tin 

 gives the greatest amount of hardness to bronze, consist- 

 ent with toughness, while a larger percentage increases 

 the hardness until the bronze becomes almost as brittle 

 as glass. It is therefore very interesting to remark that 



1 Numbers xxxii. 22. 



2 Archivfur Anthrop. 1877, i. 9. MaMriaux, 1877, p. 138. 



3 For details and references see Wilson, Prehistoric Annals of Scotland, 

 i. part ii. chap. 3. 



