3rd place isn't technically that bad....

[palusbuteo]

OK, so, youtube had a video I watched a little but about the Otzi Man, which is a fascinating discovery, and one that hit us in Middle School and one of the first times that current-events-on-TV was brought literally into the classroom, rather than just reading about it in stale or oversimplified and outdated textbooks or from a duplicator machine copied handout

but I digress

the video made mention of the Chalcolithic period, aka the Copper Age

so of course I ended up on wikipedia with 50 tabs open and one of them was about the Three Ages system (Stone, Bronze, Iron ages) and suddenly it dawned on me

So, the Bronze age was a few hundred years, maybe a thousand.
It's called the Bronze age because of course as the name implies, Bronze was the most frequently discovered artifact dated to the same rough time period, etc.
So obviously Bronze was considered one of the premier metals, highly valued, because it was used in a helluvalot of objects in that period and slightly beyond.

And then it hit me. Ancient Greeks were big into bronze. Like, really big into bronze.
OK....And then the Olympic Games popped into my head.
What are the three metals used in the 3 medals.
Gold, Silver, Bronze.

A lot of (overly-pro-US) propaganda and elitist/exceptionalistic pride talks about how "bad" getting a Bronze medal is and how it's "worthless" because of course everyone wants Gold, but Silver ain't bad. But Bronze?
Nope, that's for weaklings according to some.

But wait, the Olympics originated in Ancient Greece.
And, why would they consciously choose a "poor" metal for a 3rd place medal.
If they wanted to rub salt in the wound that you only came in 3rd place, and it seems like the Ancient Greeks were not nearly as pathetic and childish as we in the US are now. They had their childish and elitist-snobby moments, don't get me wrong, but seems like they still valued Bronze enough to have it as their top 3 medals.

Because of course, it dawns on me, because they used a LOT of Bronze and were Really Into It in terms of trade & commerce. Like, aggressively. You wanted to look like a Ripped, Badass Super God of War on the battlefield? (if you were of the class and social status to afford it), ripped muscled 6-pack cuirass. Made Of BRONZE. Why because when it's polished to a near-mirror polish you fucking GLEAM and the yellow-gold color looks like human skin.....Rippling, gleaming, (sweating with MANLINESS because ancient greeks were into that)

The most outstanding and significant sculptures of the ancient Greeks, of Gods and Goddesses and Ripped Badass (and...pubescent...) spear-throwers and boxers and such? Full Human Sized Bronze. Again, polished to look like human flesh with that Beach Bod Tan

So...Bronze = Loser of course now dawns on me as total bullshit.

and yeah I do admit I do like me some fine Copper, Brass and Bronze.

and yes it is way past my bedtime.