Chalcolithic

Quick Facts: Who was Chalcolithic?

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Chalcolithic

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Prehistoric period marked by the increasing use of smelted copper, bridging Neolithic and Bronze Ages.

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Origins & Early Life

The Chalcolithic ( KAL-kə-LI-thik) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in different areas, but was absent in some parts of the world, such as Russia, where there was no well-defined Copper Age between the Stone and Bronze Ages. Stone tools were still predominantly used during this period. The Chalcolithic covers both the early cold working (hammering) of near-pure copper ores, as exhibited by the likes of the North American Great Lakes Old Copper complex, from around 6,500 BC, through the later copper smelting cultures.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The archaeological site of Belovode, on Rudnik mountain in Serbia, has the world's oldest securely dated evidence of copper smelting at high temperature, from c. 5,000 BC. The transition from Copper Age to Bronze Age in Europe occurred between the late 5th and the late 3rd millennium BC. In the Ancient Near East the Copper Age covered about the same period, beginning in the late 5th millennium BC and lasting for about a millennium before it gave rise to the Early Bronze Age. A study in the journal Antiquity from 2013 reporting the discovery of a tin bronze foil from the Pločnik archaeological site dated to c. 4,650 BC, as well as 14 other artefacts from Bulgaria and Serbia dated to before 4,000 BC, showed that early tin bronze was more common than previously thought and developed independently in Europe 1,500 years before the first tin bronze alloys in the Near East. In Britain, the Chalcolithic is a short period between about 2,500 and 2,200 BC, characterized by the first appearance of objects of copper and gold, a new ceramic culture and the immigration of Bell Beaker culture people, heralding the end of the local late Neolithic.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The multiple names result from multiple definitions of the period. Originally, the term Bronze Age meant that either copper or bronze was being used as the chief hard substance for the manufacture of tools and weapons. Ancient writers, who provided the essential cultural references for educated people during the 19th century, used the same name for both copper and bronze-using ages. The concept of the Copper Age was put forward by Hungarian scientist Ferenc Pulszky in the 1870s, when, on the basis of the significant number of large copper objects unearthed within the Carpathian Basin, he suggested that the previous threefold division of the Prehistoric Age – the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages – should be further divided with the introduction of the Copper Age. In 1881, John Evans recognized that use of copper often preceded the use of bronze, and distinguished between a transitional Copper Age and the Bronze Age proper.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1881: 1881 Milestone — In 1881, John Evans recognized that use of copper often preceded the use of bronze, and distinguished between a transitional Copper Age and the Bronze Age proper.
2. 2013: 2013 Milestone — A study in the journal Antiquity from 2013 reporting the discovery of a tin bronze foil from the Pločnik archaeological site dated to c.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Chalcolithic

True or False: “The term 'Chalcolithic' was coined to avoid suggesting that the period was a continuation of the Neolithic Age.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The term was adopted around 1900 because 'Eneolithic' could be misinterpreted as meaning 'outside the Neolithic'.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Aaron Swartz — Historical peer (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering programmer, activist, and hacktivist known for RSS, Markdown, and progressive organizing.
• Ada Louise Huxtable — Historical peer (Died in 2013) (2013): Pioneering American architecture critic who elevated urban design to public discourse.
• Alcide De Gasperi — Historical peer (Born in 1881) (1881): Key statesman who led Italy through its post-war reconstruction and founding of the EU.
• Aleksey Pisemsky — Historical peer (Died in 1881) (1881): A prominent Russian novelist and dramatist, contemporary to Turgenev and Dostoyevsky.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chalcolithic