Download 4. The Iron Age - Handout

Iron Age
Iron Age is the period marked by the use of iron implements, tools, and
weapons. Archeologists consider the Iron Age the period that immediately
follows the Bronze Age. The Iron Age is the third era in archeologist
Christian Anderson's three-age system.
The start of the Iron Age in Mesopotamia is dated around 1300 BC. As the use of iron spread to
other parts of the world, the Iron Age started to dawn in other parts of the world. In India and
Europe, for example, the start of the Iron Age is dated around 1200 BC while in parts of China it is
believed to have started in 600 BC and in Japan as late as 100 BC.
Iron Age Civilizations:
The civilizations of the Near East were the earliest to reap the benefits of Iron Age.
The development of Archaic Greece with the fall of the Bronze Age Mycenaean
Civilization was an era of renewal in Greece. The Greek city-states, the polis were rebuilt and
Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, and Halicarnassus were among the mightiest polis.
Urbanization took on new dimensions with the construction of these cities. The Phoenician alphabet
was adopted and the Mycenaean history was transformed into myths and legends for the
generations to come.
In Iran, Zoroastrianism took roots during the Iron Ages. A high sense of cultural refinement
marked the era. Art, architecture and literature flourished.
In China, the Chou Dynasty lost its power and might in the Iron Age. The smaller, fragmented
kingdoms formed as a consequence entered an era of internal conflict and strife till the emergence
of the mighty Ch'in Dynasty. The emperors of the Ch'in Dynasty took up territorial expansion and
promotion of Chinese culture including philosophy and literature.
Iron and Metal Works:
The discovery of iron dates back to about 2000 BC. Iron artifacts dating back to
the fifth millennium BC have been found in Iran by the archeologists. The earliest
iron artifacts of Asia are those dating back to the third millennium BC. These
were found in China. By the Middle Ages the use of wrought iron in
manufacture of armors and armaments was a common practice. Its versatility
and ease of procurement made iron a revolutionary metal. The easy availability of
coal for the manufacture of iron and the strength of the metal itself made it very
popular. By the time steel was manufactured, the use of iron was already a
common feature of most world civilizations.
Iron Age Literature:
Language and literature saw a great deal of evolution in the Iron Age. The Bronze Age had seen
the development of the earliest alphabets such as the Cuneiform and the Hieroglyphic scripts, the
end of the Bronze Age and the early Iron Age saw texts such as the Vedas being written.
The Iron Age saw a spurt in the growth of Chinese and Indian literature. Vedic literature such as
the Vedanta and Upanishads were written; the Hebrew Bible is also a product of this age.
Language and poetry grew in power. Historic records started to be maintained. Language
reflected the growing complexity of the cultural dimensions of the Iron Age civilizations.