Early History of Copper Mining and Use
Early History of Copper Mining and Use
The use of copper and gold marked the transition from the Stone Age to a more modern way of life. Ancient civilizations could use copper because it is found in its native state on the surface of the ground, because it has a distinctive color, and because it is easily worked.
In addition to the important copper deposits of Cyprus, copper is relatively common around the Mediterranean. It was found in nuggets and masses on the surface of the earth, adjacent to streams, in the walls of canyons. Although exposure to weather changes copper's reddish color to blue-green, it is easy to recognize. Ancient people learned that copper could be shaped by pressure, that is, it is "malleable."
Objects of beaten copper were used by the Chaldeans in the Middle East about 4500 B.C. Copper weapons and ornaments from about the same time have been found in the ruins of Susa, an ancient civilization located in the area of the nation that is now Iran. Native Americans exploited copper in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan perhaps 7000 years ago.
We have no way to know for certain how copper was discovered long ago. We know that humans already recognized gold. Maybe they were looking for other substances like gold. Maybe somebody dropped a piece of rock on some copper, and dented the copper without breaking it. Then, this clever ancient inventor might have realized that pure copper could be hammered into a useful or pretty shape. This special property of copper is called malleability.
Later, another observant person, maybe a potter, accidentally dropped a piece of copper in a fire. This early metal worker learned that the copper became less brittle and easier to shape if hammered after heating. This process is known as tempering.
Discovery of the idea of working copper also occurred in a number of cultures around the Earth. Thanks to the excellent archeological record in the arid southwest of Asia we know that ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, especially the city-states of Sumeria, were among the earliest to invent the use of copper and gold. This area is now in the nation of Iraq.
Geology
Project Homepage
Back