Iron Age

noun

: the period of human culture characterized by the smelting of iron and its use in industry beginning somewhat before 1000 b.c. in western Asia and Egypt

Examples of Iron Age in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web See it The oldest artifacts included some Iron Age chariot fittings, archaeologists said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Three were from babies that likely did not survive to birth, discovered in Iron Age sites in Spain. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Three other babies, who likely died shortly after birth, were found at an Early Iron Age burial site in Navarra, Spain, and lived between 801 and 400 B.C., the study said. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2024 Dogs have been found in much older graves than this Iron Age cemetery, dating back toward the days when they may have been domesticated beginning 16,000 years or so ago. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 The lack of patterns in these graves means that there are likely multiple interpretations about human-animal co-burials from the Late Iron Age. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2024 The pieces date to between 700 A.D. and 850 A.D. Mysterious Iron Age pits Experts also identified older evidence at the site dating to the Iron Age — between the fifth century B.C. and the eighth century B.C. Among the discoveries, archaeologists found small pits scattered across the site. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024 For a beginner hobbyist to find nine of the Nordic Iron Age trinkets buried in a pile, two months after buying a metal detector? Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2023 Other Iron Age buildings—a cluster of roundhouses and a pantry—have been found at the site, as well as a Roman villa containing the remains of a tiny pet dog. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Iron Age.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Iron Age was in 1845

Dictionary Entries Near Iron Age

Cite this Entry

“Iron Age.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Iron%20Age. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Iron Age

noun
: the period of human culture characterized by the smelting and use of iron and beginning somewhat before 1000 b.c. in western Asia and Egypt

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