4·The Bronze Age 71 native tin in the Zagros mountains on the eastern edge of the Mesopotamian plain.If they existed,however,they were quickly exhausted.Instead,documents have been found which record immense tin transporting caravans.Further,coastal ships could have carried tin from the Far East into the Mediterranean area. (An ancient shipwreck bearing tin has recently been found off the coast of Israel.)All taken,it is still a mystery today how the Bronze Age could have started already around 2000 B.C.in the Mediterranean area when no tin was readily available for exper- imentation or the accidental discovery of bronze.The transfer of bronze technology from the Far East or another area hitherto unknown to the West therefore should be considered to be a pos- sibility. One of the theories postulates that tin may have come from the southern slopes of the Caucasus (now Armenia)where both malachite (copper ore)and cassiterite(tin ore)are found.These minerals may well have been accidentally smelted together,thus yielding tin-bronze. Other scholars believe that trade connections between the Mid- dle East and Eastern Europe (where tin occurs in Bohemia,Sax- onia,etc.)existed as early as 2500 B.C.This brings us to focus our attention on the Europeans,in particular on the Uneticians (named after a village near Prague)who by 1500 B.C.had become the dominant people in Europe.Their influence extended over a large territory,that is,from the Ukraine to the Rhine valley.The Uneticians were skillful bronzesmiths who manufactured in large quantities items such as pins(to hold garments together),tools (such as axes and plowshares),weapons,and jewelry.Actually, one item,a neck ring,was produced in such large quantities that it served as a kind of a currency,that is,it was exchanged for gold,furs,amber,and glass beads.These neck rings were,inci- dentally,quite similar in appearance to those found in Syria.The Uneticians traded not only with the south,but also with the British Islands,Scandinavia,and Ireland,where the fruits of their work have been found in many graves.They were ingenious in- ventors of new applications or copied items which they liked.In- deed,the safety pin was a product of the Uneticians.Archaeolo- gists have found at Unetician sites such items as knitting needles, the remnants of an elaborate loom,and a strainer for the pro- duction of cheese.A large find in bronze-metal artifacts (axes, chisels,spears,knives,bracelets,pins,and a chain)was uncov- ered in a peat swamp located at the Federsee (a lake in southern Germany)which remarkably preserved a Bronze Age settlement. Another area where bronze technology was practiced was lo- cated near the Indus river in ancient northwest India.There,anative tin in the Zagros mountains on the eastern edge of the Mesopotamian plain. If they existed, however, they were quickly exhausted. Instead, documents have been found which record immense tin transporting caravans. Further, coastal ships could have carried tin from the Far East into the Mediterranean area. (An ancient shipwreck bearing tin has recently been found off the coast of Israel.) All taken, it is still a mystery today how the Bronze Age could have started already around 2000 B.C. in the Mediterranean area when no tin was readily available for exper￾imentation or the accidental discovery of bronze. The transfer of bronze technology from the Far East or another area hitherto unknown to the West therefore should be considered to be a pos￾sibility. One of the theories postulates that tin may have come from the southern slopes of the Caucasus (now Armenia) where both malachite (copper ore) and cassiterite (tin ore) are found. These minerals may well have been accidentally smelted together, thus yielding tin–bronze. Other scholars believe that trade connections between the Mid￾dle East and Eastern Europe (where tin occurs in Bohemia, Sax￾onia, etc.) existed as early as 2500 B.C. This brings us to focus our attention on the Europeans, in particular on the Uneticians (named after a village near Prague) who by 1500 B.C. had become the dominant people in Europe. Their influence extended over a large territory, that is, from the Ukraine to the Rhine valley. The Uneticians were skillful bronzesmiths who manufactured in large quantities items such as pins (to hold garments together), tools (such as axes and plowshares), weapons, and jewelry. Actually, one item, a neck ring, was produced in such large quantities that it served as a kind of a currency, that is, it was exchanged for gold, furs, amber, and glass beads. These neck rings were, inci￾dentally, quite similar in appearance to those found in Syria. The Uneticians traded not only with the south, but also with the British Islands, Scandinavia, and Ireland, where the fruits of their work have been found in many graves. They were ingenious in￾ventors of new applications or copied items which they liked. In￾deed, the safety pin was a product of the Uneticians. Archaeolo￾gists have found at Unetician sites such items as knitting needles, the remnants of an elaborate loom, and a strainer for the pro￾duction of cheese. A large find in bronze-metal artifacts (axes, chisels, spears, knives, bracelets, pins, and a chain) was uncov￾ered in a peat swamp located at the Federsee (a lake in southern Germany) which remarkably preserved a Bronze Age settlement. Another area where bronze technology was practiced was lo￾cated near the Indus river in ancient northwest India. There, a 4 • The Bronze Age 71