164 THE EARLIEST MEN 



in the shape of iron, has been presented by travel- 

 lers. Such races the native Australians for ex- 

 ample have never been through a Bronze Age. 

 The Bronze Age was not, therefore, universal 

 throughout the world, nor was it synchronous in 

 those countries in which it is known to have ex- 

 isted. It probably commenced in Europe some 

 four thousand years ago, and lasted for something 

 like two thousand years. But in Mexico and Peru 

 the native populations, up to a comparatively 

 recent time, were still in the Bronze Age. 



What one has to remember about all these arch- 

 aeological epochs is, that they are not to be looked 

 upon as much as periods of time, %ut as successive 

 reaches in a river of progress, arrived at sooner in 

 some cases, later in others. Perhaps the following 

 table which summarizes what has been said, will 

 assist the reader : 



ARCH^OLOGICAL PERIODS. 



Stone or Non-Metallic Age. 



Eolithic Period (?) 



Palaeolithic Period. 



Neolithic Period. 

 Age of Transition from Stone to Metals. 



^Eneolithic or Copper Period. 

 Metallic Age. 



Bronze Period. 



Iron Period. 



With most of these periods we are not concerned 

 in these pages, but of the first two much remains 

 to be discussed. This, however, must be deferred 

 to a later point. 



