When Did the Iron Age Begin?
In archaeology, the Iron Age refers to the period of ancient history in which iron was the main material for making tools and weapons. The Iron Age is the third in the classification system for ancient cultures. The Bronze Age and the Stone Age preceded it. The timeline of the Iron Age varies across different parts of the ancient world.
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Time Frame
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The earliest beginning of the Iron Age was in southeastern Europe and the present-day Middle East about 1200 B.C.
Geography
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In ancient China, the Iron Age began about 600 B.C. In ancient Japan and Korea, the Iron Age began in 500 to 400 B.C.
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History
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There was limited use of iron in the ancient Middle East as early as 3000 B.C., according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. However, bronze was the dominant metal at the time.
Types
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According to Boston University scholars, the Iron Age can be divided into two subsections: Iron Age I and Iron Age II.
Iron Age I
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Iron Age I shows great continuity with the Bronze Age that preceded it. Historians date this first subsection of the Iron Age as lasting from 1200 to 1000 B.C.
Iron Age II
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Spanning the period of 1000 to 500 B.C., this second subsection of the Iron Age saw the rise of ancient Israel and its later fall, as Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom and Babylonians overran the southern kingdom.
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References
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