The Bronze Age

AROUND 3,000 BCE TO 1,300 BCE

The historical period known as the Bronze Age began with the widespread smelting of copper and alloying with other metals to make bronze. Replacing stone, innovations such as the ox plough were made and the wheel was invented. The period also saw advancement in architecture and art,

including the invention of textiles. More villages and cities were also beginning to form.

Organised government, law and warfare, as well as the beginnings of religion, also came into play during the Bronze Age, perhaps most notably relating to the ancient Egyptians, who built the pyramids during this time. The earliest written accounts, including Egyptian hieroglyphs and petroglyphs (rock engravings), are also dated to this era.

BELOW Stonehenge, an ancient prehistoric stone monument near Salisbury, England. Archaeologists believe the UNESCO World Heritage Site was constructed from 3000 to 2000 BCE