2
34
2. The Neolithic period and the Bronze and Iron Ages
3.2. Society in the Bronze and Iron Ages
Due to the
prosperity
created by
trade
, the populations of the villages grew and
they became
towns
.
More resistant materials were commonly used to construct buildings, such as
adobe
(sun-dried earth) and stone for the base or plinth
4
.
The increase in agricultural production meant that some people could stop working
in the fields and dedicate themselves to other tasks. This marked the beginning of
the
division of labour
.
Some activities were more profitable than others, so
social differences
appeared.
The differences in wealth discovered through funerary objects show that one part of
society became much richer than the rest.
The increasing wealth of some towns led to
sackings
. These were violent attacks by
neighbouring villages or nomads, who wanted to enter the town and steal its riches.
To guarantee their safety, villages were built in high places and were protected by
palisades
(wooden stakes
5
) and brick or stone
walls
. War made
the position of
women weaker
. The men, who were the ones who fought, took the control of the
decision making away from women.
The most powerful position was held by the military
chieftain
, who eventually took
control of the decision making. Many of them converted their positions into hereditary
ones by transforming themselves into kings or monarchs.
3.3. Culture in the Bronze and Iron Ages
War influenced religion. New male
war gods
were added to the female divinities and
eventually became the most important ones.
The dates of the most important
religious celebrations
were established around the
agrarian calendar
. This was based on the observation of celestial bodies. Megalithic
monuments built during this period, are associated with the beliefs about the cycles
of nature.
Celtic warriors (detail of the Gundestrup Cauldron, National Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen)
4
plinth
:
the base of a wall
5
stake
:
a stick with a pointed end,
which is pushed into the ground to
form part of a fence
