The history of copper is extremely important, as copper was the first metal that humans mined and crafted. Still one of the most valuable and useful commodities today, copper has a long and vital history.

Copper mining dates back to 9000 BC.
While it’s difficult to trace history back that far, most estimates place the first copper mining at 9000 BC Copper is likely the first metal to be mined and worked by humans because it used to be extremely plentiful, and it could literally be mined at surface level. The Iran highlands and the Middle East are likely the place where copper mining began.

Ancient copper pendants provide valuable clues.
Archaeologists have found a copper pendant in northern Iraq that dates back to 8700 BC. This provides proof that copper was worked at that point, and lends credence to the estimates of copper mining beginning around 9000 BC.

Early copper smelting sites from 4500 BC.
While it’s estimated that copper mining began as early as 9000 BC, the earliest smelting sites date to around 4500 BC. These sites are located in Israel, Egypt and Jordan.

Copper alloys arrive on the scene around 3000 BC.
By 3000 BC, copper alloys were being developed. Early copper alloys were arsenic and tin. Bronze became an extremely important metal, used in everything from farming to weapons to decorative materials. Alloyed copper was easier to cast, and alloys were harder, making alloys extremely useful and a pivotal step in metallurgy. By 2500 BC, bronze was in widespread use, kicking off the era that historians call the Bronze Age.

China advances copper metallurgy starting around 2000 BC.
China refined many copper metallurgy techniques, beginning around 2000 BC. Metallurgy technology moved much faster in China than in the West, with advanced casting furnaces, arsenical copper and the development of copper alloys.

Ancient Romans use copper as money.
By 600 BC, Romans had begun using lumps of copper as currency. Over time, the Romans shaped these copper lumps into coins. Julius Caesar had his own coins made from a copper alloy.

Copper in art.
By 1500 AD, copper had found its way into art in the West, in the form of bronze sculptures. In the East, the Nara Buddha, a massive sculpture in bronze, dates back to 751 AD. Copper has been utilized in decorative applications for millennia, but these noteworthy statues are large reminders of copper’s growing importance.

Copper plating.
Copper plating is an application that began in the mid-1600s. This use of copper was most famous for its role in ship building, to protect ships from weathering and storms.

Copper in the modern world.
Copper technologies have continued to develop and improve over the past few centuries. The first rolling copper mill was established by Paul Revere in Canton, Massachusetts, in 1801. Flash smelting began in 1949. In 1990, copper oxide was first used as a superconductor. Copper technology continues to evolve as copper uses grow and change to meet society’s shifting needs.