The bronze/Iron age?

Question

Are there any decent theories as to how early humans discovered how to make bronze or iron. It seems a bit far-fetched to suggest that someone could have accidently dropped a rock containing metal ores into a fire and hey presto, Iron! Can I have your serious theories please.

Answer 1

No, really no idea; and I find this discovery as surprising as you do. How in the hell to do that accidentally? Early bronze made works have been spotted on several locations on earth and each of those locations are unlikely to have been connected each to other in time, space, and history.

As yet, there are claims of an earlier appearance of tin bronze in Thailand in the 5th millennium BC. Arsenical bronzes were made in Anatolia and on both sides of the Caucasus by the early 3rd millennium BC. Some scholars date some arsenical bronze artifacts of the Maykop culture in the North Caucasus as far back as the mid 4th millennium BC, which would make them the oldest known bronzes, but others date the same Maykop artifacts to the mid 3rd millennium BC.

Depending the recipe, bronze can melt at temperatures ranging from 750 to 900° Fahrenheit; that is to say temperatures likely to be obtained with a relatively rudimentary camp fire. So, the accidental discovery is likely and this explains why bronze craft was discovered before iron. The logical thinking process seems obvious from this on. Once one discovers how to make bronze artifacts, then accidents or accidental experiments with iron ore is much likely.

But I believe that it took a considerable lapse of time between the first discovery of strange metal like things in the remains of a camp fire and the ability to control the process at will, and the appearance of an authentic craftsmanship.

Answer 2

In areas like Turkey, Iraq and Iran (then the cradle of civilization) around 5,500 years ago the transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze age came about by the development of metallurgy.

As those peoples had developed stone work they would have discovered seams of metal ores and after some experimentation would have alloyed tin with copper to make bronze.

Answer 3

Not as far fetched as the idea that a caveman sat down with a lump of rock and worked out what was in the rock and what the reaction of those ingredients with other rocks would be.

Unless you are suggesting that someone showed them how to do it, the most likely answer is the one you have outlined above.

Answer 4

Bronze is a mystery, as there doesn't seem to be any evidence as to how people learned to make it, unless they tried to dilute copper with tin (copper was rare and highly prized back then) and discovered bronze. To me, that would be the most likely scenario, much as the ancients diluted gold with silver (creating electrum) or copper (red gold).

As for iron, it is known that the ancient Minoan civilization of Crete knew how to smelt and work iron. When the Aegean volcano Thera (Greek: Fear) exploded in circa1535 B.C. (causing the legends of Atlantis) the survivors of Crete fled east and south to escape, and became the Philistines, the ancient enemies of Biblical Israel.

Crete during Biblical times was known as "Caphtor" and God called the Philistines "the remnant of Caphtor"

Jeremiah 47:4

4 Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyrus and Zidon every helper that remaineth: for the LORD will spoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.

Note that He calls them the REMNANT of Caphtor, indicating that they were of the survivors who fled Thera's eruption. Their pottery also showed Minoan designs, indicating their origins.

Their iron weapons allowed them to destroy many Bronze Age cities on their way down the Mediterranean coast before they were finally stopped by the Egyptians and settled on the coast of what is now Israel.

Answer 5

Copper is often found as the metallic element and many ores of copper are easily reduced to the metal in wood fires,furthermore tin ores(like cassiterite) are also easily reduced to molten metallic tin at quite low temperatures in the same wood fires.when you consider that good grade copper and tin ores exist close together in cornwall then it would be beyond belief if sometime in 10000 years some rocks around a cornish campfire didnt get reduced to copper and tin which would be sure to alloy as bronze.THEN THE ARMS RACE STARTED.

Answer 6

Iron in the form of meteoric iron, was worked very early since it could be found lying on the ground. There were also naturally existing bronzes to give early metal workers a heads up. I suggest reading a book (gasp!!) entitled THE METALSMITHS,
by knauth. Its one of a series of Time Life books written about 30 years ago and it covers your question in detail. Check your local library and if they don't have it have them interlibrary loan the thing. Its very readable, aimed at general readers, not technical at all.

Answer 7

Curiosity, experiment and observation are in-built characteristics of the human mind, think of cooking!. So it is possible that a freak situation lead to more experimentation. Fire was another 'discovery' & look where that to. Some individuals have the capacity to 'perceive' potentials in things & may have been the source of originality, others have developed those 'experiments' into production .... unless you believe in the Atlanteans & martians!.

Answer 8

Most likely came from man's war creations,iron sword is better than a wooden one.

Answer 9

Just my own guesses but:
Bronze - from work with native copper.
Iron - from reduction glazes,
(Ceramics kilns offer the possibility of reducing atmospheres and appropriate temperatures).

Answer 10

aliens came down and showed them how, same like they did for the egyptians and thier piramyds, obviously.