It is easily
worked, and is found in nature. But the few copper implements we
possess do not suggest a "Copper Age" of any length or extent. It
was soon found, apparently, that an admixture of tin hardened the
copper, and the Bronze Age followed. The use of bronze was known
in Egypt about 4800 B.C. (Flinders Petrie), but little used until
about 2000 B.C. By that time (or a few centuries later) it had
spread as far as Scandinavia and Britain. The region of invention
is not known, but we have large numbers of beautiful specimens of
bronze work--including brooches and hair-pins--in all parts of
Europe. Finally, about the thirteenth century B.C., we find the
first traces of the use of iron. The first great centre for the
making of iron weapons seems to have been Hallstatt, in the
Austrian Alps, whence it spread slowly over Europe, reaching
Scandinavia and Britain between 500 and 300 B.C. But the story of
man had long before this entered the historical period, to which
we now turn.
CHAPTER XXI. EVOLUTION IN HISTORY
In the preceding chapters I have endeavoured to show how, without
invoking any "definitely directed variations," which we seem to
have little chance of understanding, we may obtain a broad
conception of the way in which the earth and its living
inhabitants came to be what they are.
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