| rdfs:comment | - Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Bronze can be cast, and can be hammered into thin plates also. Used mostly for jewelry and ship's fittings (corrosion-resistant), though armor and weapons can be made from the metal. True bronzes are rare today; the Copper/Zinc alloy Brass being more commonly produced. Alone, Bronze's two components are fairly weak, but when smelted together became a strong, corrosion resistant alloy that was useful in nearly every field of metalworking, from weapons and armor, to tools, to rings and other jewelry.
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| abstract | - Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. Bronze can be cast, and can be hammered into thin plates also. Used mostly for jewelry and ship's fittings (corrosion-resistant), though armor and weapons can be made from the metal. True bronzes are rare today; the Copper/Zinc alloy Brass being more commonly produced. Alone, Bronze's two components are fairly weak, but when smelted together became a strong, corrosion resistant alloy that was useful in nearly every field of metalworking, from weapons and armor, to tools, to rings and other jewelry. It is most likely that the first discoverer and user of the copper/tin alloy was Aulë who probably passed the technique down to his creations, the Dwarves. The great smithies of the stocky mountain dwellers would have certainly forged armor and various bronze tools and weapons, surpassed in quality only by the Elves and the Valar themselves. However, eventually came the dawn of man; And with him came all of his inventiveness and ability to adopt the creations around him. Soon, the forges and armorers of the Kingdoms of Man also began to adapt and change the Dwarven designs, making suitable creations for humans. Use of the Alloy fell greatly after the fall of Sauron, when many of the great human kingdoms died out, in many cases the old skills and secrets of the past died with their users. In many parts of Middle-Earth, declining reserves of copper caused a heavy spike in the cost of obtaining the metal. Also, the discovery and utilization of Iron and Steel as far easier and cheaper alternatives were the killing blows to the use of Bronze at its past greatness. However, use of the alloy never completely phased out, many of the land's factions and kingdoms still made use of it. Rhûn in the east, for example used Bronze as a primary armor material all the way to at least the end of the Third Age.
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