Who Discovered Copper
So, who did discover copper? Well the first thing to realise is that copper can be found in a free metallic state in nature. Its reckoned that this native copper was first used (c. 8000 BC) as a substitute for stone by Neolithic man. So I reckon the correct technical answer would be the stone-age people. Metallurgy, however, dawned in Egypt as copper was cast to shape in molds (c. 4000 BC), was reduced to metal from ores with fire and charcoal, and was intentionally alloyed with tin as bronze (c. 3500 BC). The Roman supply of copper came almost entirely from Cyprus; it was known as aes Cyprium, “metal of Cyprus,” shortened to cyprium and later corrupted to cuprum.
