5,000 BC to 2,400 BC: Gerry Art's Commenet to post 2,660 BC to 2,400 BC in reference to metal work of the period.
For some reason the comment section of the post is not allowing me to resopond. So, I will tell I can about the metal work of that period. The post centers on 2,500 BC which marks the a high point of the the Bronze Age of most of Europe, much of North Africa, and nearly all of the Near East. That is much of Europe, the Mediterranean and beyond was enjoying the Bronze Age, which to some has seemed a golden age.
I am pleased to be able to say during this period Irish Ireland was one of the most productive miners of gold and the producer of of some of the finest gold work. Someof the gold work which marked Ireland of this period were the following: Lunulea, aform of collar; torcs, a kind of neck piece which bent firmly around the neck, they were strickingly handsome; gorgets, they were a sort of chest piece or brest piece and often the most beautiful and intricket of these items. It may have been used to hold articles of dress in place. Rings and a large number of other items were also produced in gold.
I am speaking of Bronze Age Gold work. But much fine gold worke in an early age when much copper was mined and worked well before the Bronze Age.
I seem to be forming my remarks here almost entirely around Ireland, but a Bronze Age was occuring around much of the world.
It has been said that there was a Bronze age in Irelan from 2500 BC to 500 BC. I believe that there is now importnat evidence of important Bronze work being done in Ireland by 2,700 BC. I am also frairly sure that an Iron Age had already begun in Ireland 600 BC.
Let me include that the Bronze Age in Ireland and Beyond was preceded by the neolithic period, which we might call the New Stone Age. The Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age. I traumatic change in much of the world.
In the neolithic period gold and were both already mined and worked in Ireland. Fine work was produced in small quantities. Silver and lead were probably also mined and worked in small quantities.
It seems that I had Ireland on the mind when I began this piece.
Ireland entered the Bronze Age as a major miner and worker of Gold. In that Bronze Age a variety of bronzes were founded. Nearly all of them were an alloy mostly of copper but always with a portion of tin. I do not recall the usual proportions just now. How- ever there was bronze produced using arsnic in the place of tin. The tin was used to make the copper stronger, more resistant, and harder than copper. It also turned out to be a sort of stainless copper with the look of gold!
Tin was both mined in Ireland and imported to Ireland. A sort of metal alchemy was begun which employed mercury, lead, arsnic, silver, gold and other elements. The mining, smelting and working of tin and copper to make bronze was a sopnisticated process.
The Iron age in Ireland as in Europe, North Africa, the Near East and beyond was begun by a new people who proved to be many. These people knew horses well. They knew the processes of mininng, smelting and workinging iron. They made iron swords which cut through bronze weapons. They dominated Bronze Age people nearly everywhere. They were able to dominate cultures which were in many ways superior to theirs. At times they recognized this. They brought a new ianguage, they brought it to Ireland and it became the mother of all the laguage spoken there for over two thousand years. It is the Gaelic which is still spoken in parts of Ireland. English is the dominate language on the Island today. English too is born of that Iron Age language.
So, what are the Bronze age metals: gold, silver, copper, lead, arsnic, mercury, tin, and certainly more known by some. Bronze, a metal alloy made by man, and still one of the most beautiful and useful metals made by man and one of the least toxic if not made with arsnic. The alloy named an Age. We have much more to learn of the Bronze Age.
Thank you for your comment Gerry Art.
rcs.