The legacy of the European Bronze Age, which began around 2500 b.c., can be found in spectacular monuments and artifacts across the continent, from Stonehenge in Britain to Mycenae in Greece, Troy in Asia Minor, and Maokop in the Caucasus. It was an age that saw the spread of metallurgy, a new technology that 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, an increase in exchange and trade, and growing 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. Published to accompany an exhibition organized by the Council of Europe, the book includes 250 objects from sites in twenty-three European countries. Leading scholars discuss such wide-ranging topics as the wonderfully preserved "Ice Man" found in the Alps, shipwrecks, architecture, art, religion, burial, writing, and Homer and the Trojan War. The greatest achievements of Bronze Age artists in bronze, gold, silver, glass, faience, amber, and ivory are brought together in the form of armor, swords and daggers, painted ceramics, Cycladic figurines, jewelry, and horse trappings. This book provides an exceptional overview of the Bronze Age--a time of gods and heroes that witnessed the dawn of Europe's shared culture.