After its discovery (for the Middle East, around 700 BC) iron, and later steel, quickly replaced bronze in the ancient world as the metal of choice for weaponry and industry because it is harder and more durable. Today, bronze is used for making products ranging from household items such as doorknobs, drawer handles, clocks, and sculpture, but it is also still used in some industrial applications, such as engine parts, bearings, wire, statues, and cemetery memorials.