With the use of bronze as a working material a new historical era started at about 2200 BC.
Why was this particular metal so important for the development of humankind?
Bronze consists of nine parts copper and one part tin. It is melted at 800 to 1,000 degrees.
The bronze is poured into the mould and solidifies after a while. During the Bronze Age the moulds consisted mostly of sandstone. The latter was carved first and served as a template or negative of the objects, also called artefacts ─ such as flat axes, sickles, knife blades and swords.
The raw materials copper and tin were mined in Europe, the Middle East and also Africa. A flourishing trade with them started.