Bronze

Bronze is a copper-based alloy, usually made with tin, prized for its hardness, durability, and ability to be cast into complex shapes.

Copper: Copper is a reddish, conductive chemical element with the symbol Cu. Copper forms bronze’s base and supplies its characteristic color and workability.
Lost-wax casting: Lost-wax casting makes a metal object by replacing a wax model with molten metal in a mold. Bronze’s fluidity made this method effective for detailed sculptures and fittings.
Bronze Age: The Bronze Age is a period when bronze became a major material for tools, weapons, and objects of status. Bronze’s widespread use defines the period’s name and many of its archaeological records.
Bronze sculpture: Bronze sculpture is sculpture made by casting or shaping bronze. Bronze’s castability and durability suit both intricate forms and outdoor display.
Brass: Brass is a copper alloy whose principal alloying element is zinc. Brass resembles bronze in appearance but uses zinc rather than tin as its main addition.
Tin: Tin is a soft, silvery chemical element with the symbol Sn. Tin is the traditional alloying ingredient that hardens copper into bronze.
Work hardening: Work hardening increases a metal’s strength and hardness through plastic deformation. Hammering bronze can strengthen it, though excessive deformation can make it crack.
Bronze Age collapse: The Bronze Age collapse was a period of political disruption across the eastern Mediterranean around 1200 BCE. Disrupted trade networks affected access to the metals needed for bronze production.
Bell metal: Bell metal is a hard, ringing copper–tin alloy used to make bells and related objects. Its high tin content gives bronze bells a resonant sound.
Cast iron: Cast iron is an iron–carbon alloy cast into shapes, typically containing more carbon than steel. Iron alloys eventually offered a cheaper, more abundant alternative for many tools and weapons.

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