Iron Age

Refers to the period and culture associated with the third age in the Three Age system developed by Christian Jürgensen Thomsen in 1836. Iron Age culture typically developed from the Bronze Age at the point when the qualities of iron were exploited, particularly through carburization, in the manufacture of tools, weapons, and implements. It developed at different times in various parts of the world, first appearing in the Middle East and southeastern Europe around 1,200 BCE, and in China around 600 BCE. In the Americas, it did not develop from the Bronze Age but was introduced to Stone Age cultures by European explorers.