Overview
The Bronze Age in Great Britain spanned from c. 2500–2200 BC until c. 800 BC. Lasting for about 1,700 years, it followed the Neolithic era and was in turn followed by the British Iron Age. It was marked by the use of copper and then bronze tools and other artifacts by the prehistoric peoples of Britain. The beginning of bronze metalworking in Britain is associated with the arrival of the Bell Beaker culture. The spread of this Bell Beaker culture to Britain was linked with the Indo-European migrations and a massive genetic shift, resulting in about 90% of Britain's gene pool being replaced within a few hundred years, as people with Early European Farmer ancestry were mostly replaced by people with Western Steppe Herder ancestry. The Wessex culture was the main early Bronze Age culture in central and southern Britain.