The Bronze Age
It has been believed by the archaeologist that the Bronze Age was brought to Britain by the immigrants arriving from central Europe, most probably from Spain and Portugal. They brought the Beaker techniques which enhanced Britons’ skills of refining metal (which was copper then). Eventually they required a harder material than copper and with the discovery of Bronze (by mixing copper with tin) the Bronze Age arrived in Britain. With natural reserves located in northwest Britain, tin mining began which brought trade from other areas for Bronze (which was then used for making tools and weapons).
Some of the examples of the materials and weapons used during those times are the arrows, swords, spikes, Round Barrows etc. Pottery tools like pottery jars, buckles, and brooches made from gold, bronze cups, daggers, adornments made from stones, necklaces made from precious material etc.
Soon England became a trade capital with tin being their trump card, exported all across Europe by around 1600 BC. Ornaments made from gold were found in the graves of most likely a wealthy Wessex culture of southern Britain.
Barrows were used as graves for those dead and were buried under ground often with a beaker along side the body. This brought cremation practices in Britain where the cemeteries of urns have a record of those being cremated. It's been said that beaker people were also responsible for building great prehistoric sites like the Stonehenge and Seahenge etc. The question is very obvious “'where did these beaker people actually come from?” No one knows still to this day.
Archaeologists have several different presumptions and one of which most believe says, most likely beaker is a kind of trade that happened across Europe and which introduced many different cultures to Britons and increased the general knowledge about the cultural aspects thereby modernising their faiths and beliefs. The native locals blended quite well with all sorts of people who caused the original culture to be lost forever. The beaker population now had a major influence on the native local population at some level.
Life changed, people learned to live with better living standards in the Bronze Age and the community that existed at the beginning of the Neolithic age became extinct as the society became more modern. The group was controlled by leader's and the rest to work under them probably as slaves. A Bronze Age human was a war ready animal and wherever it was necessary battles were fought for money, resources and land. This was confirmed through the remains of skeletons with spearheads and knives still in them.
In 12th century BC, there is concrete evidence of a large scale population arriving into southern Britain, most probably an invasion, as there were drastic cultural changes as believed by archaeologists. This disruption left a wave which made man ever greedier and a change into culture was felt far beyond Britain, some of which was even beyond Europe, which shook every empires foundation causing an ultimate collapse as a hunt for money grew gradually. Pirates came into the picture which were only interested in capturing any ship full of resources, which was documented and written into many books.
We have finally arrived at what we know 'The Great Britain'.
Original Authors: Rohit Maini
Edit Update Authors: M.Harris
Updated On: 23/07/2008
