Bronze Mandate

Bronze needs copper and tin-but these metals were rarely in the same place. 'The Bronze Mandate' shows how this geological accident forced humanity into globalization as early as 4000 years ago. Without tin, there were no weapons, no tools, and no progress. We examine the gigantic trade networks that stretched from the mines of Britain to the palaces of Mesopotamia. It is the story of the first international diplomacy and the emergence of complex supply chains in a world without maps. Why did the entire Mediterranean world collapse when these routes broke down? We analyze the 'Collapse at the End of the Bronze Age' as the first global system failure in history. Learn how the dependence on distant raw materials was already both a curse and a blessing back then. This book documents the archaeological evidence for a networked world that was surprisingly similar to our own today. A fascinating look at the material constraints that drove the progress of civilization.