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"That's old"

"Very old," Max said confidently

"Are you certain?"

"Have I ever been wrong?"

"No," said Yaeger "I freely admit, you've never let me down"

"Then trust me on this one I ran a veryof copper began about thirty-five hundred BC, with the copper enriched with arsenic The only proble froh an accident sometime after twenty-two hundred BC, it was discovered thatninety percent copper with ten percent tin produced a very tough and durable e Fortunately, copper was found throughout Europe and the Middle East in great supply But tin was fairly rare in nature and more difficult to find"

"So tin was an expensive commodity"

"It was then," said Max "Tin traders roa it to the people who es Bronze produced a very advanced econo was forged, from weapons--bronze spearheads, knives and swords--to small necklaces, bracelets, belts and pins for the ladies Bronze axes and chisels greatly advanced the art of orking Artisans began casting pots, urns and jars Taken in proper perspective, the Bronze Age greatly advanced civilization"

"So what's the amphor's story?"

"It was cast between twelve hundred and eleven hundred bc And in case you're interested it was cast using the lost-wax method to produce the mold"

Yaeger sat up in his chair "That puts it over three thousand years old"

Max smiled sarcastically "You're very astute"

"Where was it cast?"

"In Gaul by ancient Celts, specifically in a region known as Egypt"

"Egypt," Yaeger echoed skeptically