Chapter 15, Problem 1RQ

To determine

The reason behind using stone weapons by people before using bronze weapons.

Answer to Problem 1RQ

Stones are naturally occurring substances, which are readily available. Bronze is a manufactured alloy of copper and tin. Tin and copper are two different metal components mixed for the making bronze.

Explanation of Solution

In the prehistoric human life, they used stones and stone weapons for hunting. They collected the sharp edged stones attached with hardened sticks to create tools.

Native metals look and behave like metals, gold, silver, copper, and mercury.  They occur in rock as native metals. Native metals having a good economic value in their beginning of discovery because they are rare and durable. Therefore, eventually people started to use them as money.

The smelting process helps to extract the metal from its ore. The first metal used is copper, because the process of extraction was very simple. Copper has some limitations in tool making comparatively since copper is too soft to maintain the sharp edges.

Bronze is discovered by a Sumerian craftsman around 2800 B.C.E. Bronze is the mixture of copper and tin. It is an alloy, which is mixed with two or more metals to increase the strength of a single metal. Eventually, soldiers at that time period, started using bronze for their weapons.