The Iron Age
A metal found everywhere democratises tools and weapons
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Iron demands far higher temperatures than bronze and a different craft entirely, but the raw material is ubiquitous. The transition accelerated precisely because the Bronze Age tin trade had broken down. The effect was democratising in practical terms: the iron plough broke heavier soils and raised yields, and armies could be equipped more broadly. In sub-Saharan Africa ironworking developed independently and in places to very high quality, notably among the Haya near Lake Victoria.
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Iron is found almost everywhere, unlike tin which had to be shipped from far away. Once people learned to smelt and forge it, ordinary farmers could have good axes and ploughs. Tools became something many could own, not just the richest.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org