the superiority of bronze against iron is rust,
from the nails that are found by archaiologists we know that they knew to harden iron, although made it heavy,
but iron rust easy, and loses his 'cut edge' quicker,
so an early iron needed to 'stones' to 'sharp' its edges, and did not last long due to rust, and it was very heavy,
mettals millenium before iron was founded place 'played' also the role of money,
one of the first money coin was cypriot talanton which had the size of a lamp fleece,
but from antique gold was consider superior than copper than iron,
why? I believe it is the resist against rust,
gold is softer than iron, yet more precious 6 milleniums now,
why? cause money should have a strong resist in time.
in ancient Makedonians a month was named Xanthos, due to that month they all brush and sharp their iron weapons,
consider such thing in early iron mettalurgy,
yet in areas were they needed hard metal they put iron,
but they use bronze in daylife in other things