The Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a prehistoric period between the Stone Age and the Iron Age, marked by the use of bronze for weapons, tools, and jewelry. However, people didn’t exclusively use bronze—stone, wood, and clay remained common materials, much like today. What distinguishes the Bronze Age is the ability to craft items from bronze.
Bronze during this time was a mixture of copper and tin, with varying proportions. Today, there are many types of bronze alloys, like aluminum bronze, beryllium bronze (used for springs), and phosphor bronze. A notable alloy is "machine bronze," used in high-speed rotating machine parts. The soft lead in it acts like small metal balls, functioning as a built-in lubricant.
It's believed that the art of using bronze originated in the Near East around 2500 BCE, spreading to Crete, the Greek mainland, and throughout the Mediterranean before eventually reaching northern Europe. The Bronze Age began around 2500–1000 BCE in its place of origin, 1800–750 BCE in central Europe, and 1500–500 BCE in northern Europe.
It’s assumed that bronze reached Scandinavia via central Europe, particularly the Danube region, which experienced an economic boom at the time. Bronze artifacts were likely traded as finished items or raw materials. Trade networks spanned all of Europe during this period, with Gotland playing an important role. Gotlandic finds include objects from as far west as England and as far east as the Caucasus. Amber seems to have been a significant trading commodity, as many ancient graves in Greece, Italy, and Egypt contain amber jewelry.
On Gotland, numerous bronze objects were produced. A large cache was found at Eskelhem rectory (with an even larger find in Boge). The discovery in Eskelhem is particularly interesting because it also included Sweden’s first iron find—a horse bit.
Bronze Age burial practices on Gotland include cairns and ship settings, which are scattered along the coasts. These burial sites were often placed by the shoreline of that time, but sometimes near inland lakes or on heaths.
The Bronze Age on Gotland was a period of significant cultural and technological development, with the island playing an important role in broader European trade networks. The objects and burial practices found on Gotland offer a glimpse into a society that was deeply connected to the rest of Europe, yet maintained its own unique traditions. The bronze artifacts uncovered, along with evidence of early iron use, illustrate the island's transition toward more advanced metallurgy, marking Gotland as a key participant in the technological advancements of the time. These finds continue to offer valuable insights into the island's prehistoric past and its place in the wider ancient world.