"The Bronze Age is one of the most important periods in the prehistory of Europe. Beginning around the mid-3rd millennium BC, its legacy can be found in spectacular monuments and artifacts across the continent, from Wessex in Britain to Knossos and Mycenae in Greece, and Troy in Asia Minor, extending to Maikop in the Caucasus. It was an age that saw the spread of a new technology - metallurgy - which was to have profound effects on the development of civilization in Europe. The use of bronze for tools and weapons was accompanied by other great transformations, such as specialized craftsmanship, a rise in exchange and trade, and increasing social stratification and political organization. Another innovation was the first appearance of writing in Europe - the Bronze Age thus also witnessed the birth of European history." "Gods and Heroes of the European Bronze Age is published to accompany a major exhibition that includes more than 250 of the finest objects from sites in twenty-three European countries."--BOOK JACKET.