CHAPTER III
THE BRONZE AGE
There have been four principal theories as to the Bronze Age. According to some archæologists, the discovery, or introduction, of bronze was (1) due to Roman influence, (2) to the Etruscans, (3) to the Phœnicians, (4) to a new and more civilized people of Indo-European race, coming from the East, who, bringing with them a knowledge of bronze, overran Europe, and dispossessed—in some places entirely destroying—the original or rather the earlier inhabitants, or, lastly, was the result of gradual and peaceable development.
The Roman theory has been dealt with, perhaps under the circumstances at almost unnecessary length, and has now no adherents.
M. Wiberg attempted to show that the Bronze Age in Northern Europe was mainly due to Etrurian merchants. Without, however, altogether denying the influence of Etrurian art, we have not any evidence that Etruria ever enjoyed so extensive a commerce as would account for the great number of bronze objects which have been found in Northern and Western Europe.
The theory which attributed the Bronze Age civilization in Northern Europe to Phœnician influence was maintained by Professor Nilsson with great ability.[1] Since he wrote, however, the evidence has convinced archæologists that the Bronze Age commenced much earlier than was supposed fifty years ago. Marseilles was only
- ↑ Skandinaviska Nordens Ur-invanare, af S. Nilsson, Stockholm, 1862. English ed., ed. by Sir John Lubbock: Longmans.
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