6 Characteristics of the IRON AGE

The Age of metals It is one of the most important moments in the history of humanity, since it was the last of the periods of Prehistory. Therefore, it is the prelude to real history, being when writing emerged and we have written sources. Of all the ages of metals, the most interesting is the iron age, being when the main elements for the change of time arise. Therefore, in this lesson from a Teacher we are going to talk about thecharacteristics of the Iron Age.

The Iron Age is the last of the prehistoric periods. It is temporarily located between 800 a. c. and the beginning of ancient civilizations with the creation of writing.

Its existence is marked by appearance of iron, since thanks to learning about this metal, the societies of the time advanced greatly, since it was a much more useful metal than those used until then.

To understand this period in a general way, and later to enter into its different variations, we must talk about its main elements.

Here we leave you the iron age features highlights:

1. Iron is the center of this whole period, being discovered during it and serving to advance in all fields.
2. Iron was much more common than the metals used up to that time, so the tool productionas of this material was much larger than in previous stages.
3. One of the main uses of iron was armaments, since iron weapons were much more resistant and dangerous than those made of copper or bronze, so the first cultures that managed to make iron weapons were much more dangerous.
4. The new iron shovels and plow points allowed work soil and land that until that moment seemed impossible, being these advances in agriculture key so that societies could advance, achieving a much greater production.
5. Another characteristic of the Iron Age is that it is the time when trade and crafts were born of great production, both being consequences of the advances in agriculture that allowed the population to dedicate themselves to other tasks.
6. Advances made it possible for us humans to have more offspring, increasing population and this being what made cities and civilizations arise.

These are the main characteristics of the Iron Age, one of the stages of history and that are framed within the Age of metals.

Now that we know the characteristics of the Iron Age, we are going to finish this lesson by analyzing the different areas in which this prehistoric stage took place.

A very important element of the Iron Age is the existence of different areas with differences between them. And it is that this period is known for not happening at the same time in the different areas of the world, since depending on different factors it had a different beginning and end.

Thanks to the information of each region, we can see how these explained characteristics vary depending on the region, but always maintaining common elements. That is why we must tell how the Iron Age was in each of the parts of the world where it took place.

Middle East

It is considered that the beginning of the Iron Age in this area took place with the discovery of foundry techniques in the Caucasus and Anatolia regions. Along the first millennium BC C., The manufacture of weapons and iron tools spread throughout the East, bringing enormous advances in many aspects. The importance of iron weaponry it was such that the importance of the Hittites in the region is considered to have been based on it.

The birth of the Iron Age had its origin in this area and it was from here that it spread throughout Europe and Asia by merchants and navigators who went to other areas.

China and Korea

The first samples of iron decorations in china we can find them in 6th century BC c. During the stage known as zhou dynasty. Thanks to archeology, numerous tests of tools and weapons made of this material have been found.

It is considered that, thanks to trade, these products made by iron reached Korean soil. where they were the origin of many of the first states of Asia, serving iron as the basis of new societies.

Africa

The first iron culture that we can find on the African continent was known as nok culture, located in present-day Nigeria, and which achieved enormous expansion thanks to its control of iron. After that, the knowledge of smelting iron spread to the south, with cultures like the Bantu, who took advantage of this knowledge to expand rapidly to the south of the continent.

Europe

It is considered that the Iron Age in Europe began in the 11th century BC. c. coming from Asia Minor, from where it spread for centuries. Among the main European iron cultures we can find the Celts, Etruscans, Tartessos, Iberians, Gauls, Germans, Slavs, among many others.

The history of Europe is so long that it is difficult to define when the Iron Age ends, but its conclusion tends to be considered took place with the Roman conquest, since we can find iron towns until the modernization carried out by the Romans throughout Europe.