Final answer:
Bronze was introduced around 3000 BCE, enhancing agricultural and military capabilities due to its hardness, which necessitated long-distance trade for resources like tin. The later development and spread of iron technology provided an abundant alternative to bronze, reshaping economic and social structures with more accessible metal tools and weapons.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of bronze significantly improved agricultural production and revolutionized warfare by providing harder and more effective tools and weapons. This transition took place a little before 3000 BCE, with the introduction of bronze-bladed plows enabling much deeper and more efficient cultivation of land, compared to wooden tools. The transition to iron later on marked a further technological advancement, offering a more abundant and accessible alternative to bronze, which was heavily reliant on long-distance trade for tin.
With the advent of bronze, societies expanded their long-distance trade to acquire crucial resources like tin and copper, needed to manufacture bronze. This trade facilitated not only the spread of materials but also the exchange of technologies and cultural connections between different civilizations. Eventually, iron began to supplant bronze due to its abundance and the capability it offered for wider distribution of metal tools and weapons, which advanced socioeconomic structures by allowing more efficient farming and equipping a larger number of soldiers.