[je-za]

The invention of metal as a workable substance was a process that developed gradually over thousands of years. It started with the use of native copper, which was first used by prehistoric peoples in various parts of the world around 9000 BC. The first metals to be smelted and used in their pure forms were gold, copper, and silver, with the first evidence of smelting coming from around 5000 BC in the Caucasus region of Eastern Europe. The ability to make alloys, such as bronze and brass, came later around 3500 BC and 1500 BC, respectively. The modern era of metalworking, which includes the use of iron and steel, started around 1400 BC with the Hittites in Anatolia. So, it’s not the work of a single person but the result of human innovation over time.