▁Kn oss os ▁in ▁Cre te , ▁and ▁is ▁regarded ▁as ▁an ▁Egypt ian ▁product . ▁Bron ze ▁was ▁not ▁generally ▁used ▁until ▁a ▁thousand ▁years ▁or ▁more ▁later . ▁Its ▁first ▁appearance ▁is ▁probably ▁in ▁the ▁cel ts ▁and ▁d agger - bl ades ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁City ▁of ▁T roy , ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁already ▁the ▁standard ▁al loy ▁of ▁ 1 0 % ▁tin . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁established ▁in ▁Cre te ▁until ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁M ino an ▁age ▁( MM I , ▁c . ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁BC ). ▁The ▁Co pper ▁age ▁began ▁in ▁northern ▁Greece ▁and ▁Italy ▁c . ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁BC , ▁much ▁later ▁than ▁in ▁Cre te ▁and ▁An atol ia , ▁and ▁the ▁m ature ▁Italian ▁Bron ze ▁Age ▁of ▁Ter rem are ▁culture ▁coinc ided ▁in ▁time ▁with ▁the ▁Late ▁A ege an ▁( My c ena e an ) ▁civil isation ▁( 1 6 0 0 – 1 0 0 0 ▁BC ). ▁The ▁original ▁sources ▁both ▁of ▁tin ▁and ▁co pper ▁in ▁these ▁regions ▁are ▁unknown . ▁ ▁Ear liest ▁implements ▁and ▁ut ens ils ▁Tools ▁and ▁weapons , ▁ch is els ▁and ▁ax e - head s , ▁spe ar head s ▁or ▁d agger - bl ades , ▁are ▁the ▁only ▁surv iving ▁artifact s ▁of ▁the ▁Co pper ▁age , ▁and ▁do ▁not ▁show ▁art istic ▁treatment . ▁But ▁some ▁Early ▁M ino an ▁pot tery ▁forms ▁are ▁plain ly