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Reference and Education > When Humans Discovered Metal
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Article rating : 0.00, 0 votes. Author : Sally Taylor
Recent Archaeological findings reveal that humans have been using metals since the Neolithic period and mining and working of metals began in around 8,000 BCE, ten thousand years ago. This is much longer than previously presumed. In fact, simple copper artifacts dating back to 9,000 BCE were recently found in Asia Minor.
It seems that the Hittites, of the Taurus mountain range area in what is now Turkey were not the first metal workers, as was formerly thought, but actually inherited their savvy in Metallurgy from the earlier cultures of that region who were the first metal users as far is known at this date.
The first metals that were used by humans were gold and copper. This is understandable, as both are easy to see and both are easy to work using just simple tools. Because of the softness and pliability, gold, was used for mainly ornamental purposes. Copper, the more durable metal was used for adornment as well but also for spearheads, knives, pins, combs, and other useful items, that the softer gold was not well suited for.
It is not certain how early metal crafters discovered smelting. Raw copper is brittle and can break when being worked, but after being heated becomes pliant and workable. It has been suggested that this may have been found out accidentally by someone dropping a piece of metal into a fire then noticing the difference in the working of the metal later.
When man began to use metals, there was much basically pure metal to be found and worked with. As demand grew, digging for more supply became necessary, and mining developed. As mining progressed, less and less pure metal was available to be smelted. As the unpure metals were heated, the other metals mixed with them would melt down at different rates. This would have been noticed by the person working the metal. The subsequent differences of the resulting metals would also have been recognized. Experimentation with these different combinations of metals resulted in the first practices of metallurgy. By the Chalcolithic era, which began about 5,000 years BCE, silver, nichol, and lead were also being worked. By the middle of the third millennium BCE alloys were being used with skill and good tin bronzes had been developed.
The Chinese have used aluminum since as early as 300 BCE, yet Western society knew nothing about this metal until it was rediscovered in the West in the early 1800's. As incredible as the Hittites accomplishments in Metallurgy were, it was not only that talent which has made our cultures what they are today. It was also their ability to establish and develop trade and transport commerce to deliver metals and metal products to other cultures near and far that has helped make civilization what it is today.
©2005 Sally Taylor: Sal is an avid gem and treasure hunter, explorer, writer, and is the owner of http://www.rockhoundstation1.com
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