{"id":497,"date":"2025-01-27T22:43:44","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T05:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/?p=497"},"modified":"2025-01-29T21:17:02","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T04:17:02","slug":"4-revolutionary-changes-to-society-from-metals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/27\/4-revolutionary-changes-to-society-from-metals\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Revolutionary Changes to Society from Metals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In our last story, we explored how we owe city planning, written language and government to humans planting seeds in the ground. We also explored how our scientific knowledge dramatically expanded when we stayed put and developed specialized jobs within communities allowing a few people to experiment and document the world around them. Let&#8217;s get into the next major innovation and learn four ways metals transformed human civilization from the agrarian societies that preceded it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before Metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Simple objects &amp; structures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Without metals, we only have sticks, stones and bones at our disposal. These natural materials are not capable of precision cutting, sculping and detail work. Objects from pre-metal civilizations lack fine detailing and their structures and vessels are typically smaller due to an inability to create consistent parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"297\" height=\"386\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-180651.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-498\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-180651.png 297w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-180651-231x300.png 231w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 297px) 100vw, 297px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pre-metal objects lack detals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After Metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Larger more detailed structures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The hardness of metal tools allows them to maintain sharp edges and create precision cuts. When we uncover large, ornately carved buildings, detailed sculptures and ships requiring consistently cut flat boards, we know that society had discovered metals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"496\" height=\"462\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-180818.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-180818.png 496w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-180818-300x279.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 496px) 100vw, 496px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">More complex and detailed products of metallurgic societies.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before Metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Bartering and localized trading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Without metals, we only have sticks, stones and bones at our disposal. These natural materials are not capable of precision cutting, sculping and detail work. Objects from pre-metal civilizations lack fine detailing and their structures and vessels are typically smaller due to an inability to create consistent parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Development of Money\" width=\"950\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/50zmbHLwJLU?start=2&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After Metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Metal coins create world-wide commerce<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While bags of grain, feathers and shells were regionally accepted forms of payment, people from all cultures were willing to trade for chips of gold and silver, regardless of who&#8217;s face was on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"848\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-181815.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-181815.png 848w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-181815-300x152.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 848px) 100vw, 848px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before Metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Warfare was quick and less common<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Armed conflicts were unusual in nomadic societies as small populations couldn&#8217;t afford to lose many members and less aggressive tribes could just move on to the next resource. Early agricultural people likely faced raids from other tribes, but warfare to build and maintain empires was not possible when everyone was armed with the same stick, stone and bone weapons that broke and dulled easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"419\" height=\"466\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-184118.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-502\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-184118.png 419w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-184118-270x300.png 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 419px) 100vw, 419px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After Metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Weapons races result in cycles of empires<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The societies who developed metals first were able to quickly dominate civilizations still working with stone age weapons. Modern-day Turkey was the hotbed for metallurgy in the ancient times with the Early Mesopotamians, Sumerians and Hittites developing copper, bronze and Iron tools respectively. Each of these metal innovations allowed their civilizations to dominate neighbors and spies stole and shared their metal-making secrets in the ancient arms race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"476\" height=\"442\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220021.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220021.png 476w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220021-300x279.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 476px) 100vw, 476px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-4 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before Metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Complicated picture based writing systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Record keeping and communication was fundamental to maintaining large agricultural cities. But as societies became more complex, so did their communication systems reliant on unique symbols for EVERY THING. Egyptian hieroglyphs and Mesopotamian cuneiform required knowledge of 1,000 characters for full communication, so only a handful of people were ever able to learn them. This monopoly on communication allowed monarchs to acquire and hold great power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"742\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220137.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220137.png 742w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220137-300x148.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 742px) 100vw, 742px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After Metals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Simplified sound based writing systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As explored above, improved metal tools amplified the effectiveness of everything. Farmers could grow, harvest and store more food. Carpenters build chariots, wagons and ships to travel longer distances for trade and empire building. The difficulty of translating all the complicated languages was solved by a famous seafaring civilization, the Phoenicians. With a system of symbols to represent sounds, they could document arrangements with anyone. Their system was picked up by neighbors and today Europe and western Asian cultures each have their own evolution of the Phoenician system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"685\" height=\"328\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220148.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220148.png 685w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Screenshot-2025-01-27-220148-300x144.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 685px) 100vw, 685px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Can you believe metal objects were so transformational to human civilization?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-5 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>What was the best change brought about by metals to society?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ancient-origins.net\/news-history-archaeology\/oldest-metal-object-found-date-middle-east-002000\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"451\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Oldest-metal-object-copper-awl.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Oldest-metal-object-copper-awl.jpg 600w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Oldest-metal-object-copper-awl-300x226.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This 7200 year old copper hole puncher is the oldest metal object we&#8217;ve found (source).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>What was the worst change brought about by metals to society?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Let&#8217;s keep learning!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-6 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Previous Story:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/30\/8-revolutionary-changes-from-agriculture\/\" title=\"\">8 Revolutionary Changes from Agriculture<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/raf360x360075tfafafa_ca443f4786.u2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-507\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/raf360x360075tfafafa_ca443f4786.u2.jpg 360w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/raf360x360075tfafafa_ca443f4786.u2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/raf360x360075tfafafa_ca443f4786.u2-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Next Lesson:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Properties of Metals<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let&#8217;s get into the next major innovation and learn four ways metals transformed human civilization from the agrarian societies that preceded it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[19,7,20,18],"class_list":["post-497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-story-3-how-metals-changed-earth","tag-archaeology","tag-chemistry","tag-middle-school-science","tag-science"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=497"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":511,"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497\/revisions\/511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sciencegonnagetyou.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}