In the very beginning of the iron age do we know whether old bronze items were considered as status symbols or old just junk?

by Uncleniles

Like did people throw their bronze stuff on the midden as soon as they got iron or where old bronze artifacts valued as heirlooms from a bygone era?

LostSaxon

Well, actually bronze continued to be used well into the Iron Age, particularly in the beginning. In Ireland, for instance, there are numerous physical remnants of “Iron Age” Bronze axes, including ceremonial ones. This is because the main advantage of iron has nothing to do with its strength, bronze is actually better for tools and weapons. Iron is just easy to work since it did not have to be alloyed like bronze, a metalworker did not need to worry about precise ratios. But because of its brittleness, iron is actually inferior to bronze once the job of making a tool is done. Steel is what is really needed to make better tools rather than to make them more easily.

silverappleyard

To add to the other comment here, you might be interested in this answer from u/alriclofgar: