Town (Shieldmaker)

The discovery of bronze precedes classical antiquity by thousands of years. The first bronze alloy has been dated to 4500BC and its use spread rapidly throughout China and Iran before spreading west. The 'Bronze Age' was essentially a transitional period during which the world became a more civilised culture, with the implementation of tools through smelting, the creation of tin alloys, and the development of writing. Although the Bronze Age gave way to the Iron and Classical Ages, bronze remained widely used despite being more difficult to make and requiring more skill to work than iron and its alloys. However, the use of bronze eventually declined as it took a costly master craftsman to make good weaponry from it. Wrought iron was much cheaper and easier to use, despite generally only being 'strong enough' prior to the development of steel.