3200-750 BC Bronze Age

The coastlines of north-west mainland Europe face Britain, Ireland and, across the Bay of Biscay, Iberia, while the North Sea gives easy access to Scandinavia. It is hardly surprising therefore that sea communications became unusually important for the region in the Bronze Age. Fertile exchanges of people, materials, and ideas took place in all directions, including inland to the heart of Europe, but the importance of the seaways meant that most of this area identified with a specifically ‘Atlantic’ cultural ethos. Only eastern France aligned itself typically with central Europe, while the major connections of communities in the area of present-day Holland shifted dramatically in the middle of the Bronze Age. Archaeological evidence suggests that during certain phases of the Bronze Age a major cultural boundary ran through the Paris basin.

The Atlantic zone of Europe distinguished itself in many ways during the Bronze Age. Beyond regionally distinctive object styles, it had a distinct architectural heritage, distinct patterns of settlement, funerary traditions and religious practices. Society in the region developed its own values, but shared with the rest of Europe a dependency on bronze for many purposes. This required contact with even relatively alien cultures to ensure the necessary supply of raw materials.