The Bronze Age is one of the most important epochs of our pre- history. It was the dawn of our shared culture in Europe, and we can still sense it in the poetry of Homer (around 750 B.C.) - in itself one of the earliest examples of European literature. Traces of the Bronze Age are still evident in many regions of Europe - the sites at Knossos and Mycenae in Greece or Stonehenge in England. The peoples of the Bronze Age were of course adept in working with bronze, but also worked with gold and silver, glass paste, amber and ivory: signs of a historical era of opulent wealth and which saw major advances in art-craftwork. Of particular interest during the Bronze Age is also the development of Greek linear script towards 2000 B.C. which marks the beginning of written history. With fascinating essays on life during the Bronze Age - society, the climate, crafts, religion and cults - this richly illustrated volume brings to life this period which was to be of such significance in the history of Europe.