800 AD. The Bronze Age finally gave way to the iron age around 700 BC as it was a much more abundant material and far easier to process into a usable grade of metal. Bronze, which is an alloy (mix) of copper and brass melts at a low temperature. Nobody knows. Ancient man first used native or naturally occurring and relatively pure metals such as gold, silver, and copper. Or at least one of the oldest. But evidence suggests that copper was the first metal ever discovered and used by man. He took a step and suddenly found that the nails that held his shoe together and the metal tip of his staff were stuck fast to the rock he was standing on! The area was a village from about 5100 B.C. The earliest workers in copper soon found that it could be easily hammered into sheets and the sheets in turn worked into shapes which became more complex as their skill increased. Yet there was a band of this era who made an even heavier song than what those bands produced. And that was Blue Cheer who, in 1968, released a cover of “Summertime Blues”, a cover which Lefevre calls “deep, dark, and loud” noting that “to this day many people consider [the track] as the first real heavy metal … Bronze replaced stone in weapons. Copper was the first metal used by man in any quantity. At first it sounded like a plot twist from a science-fiction novel by Philip K. Dick. Unlike silver, copper is often found … As demand grew, digging for more supply became necessary, and mining developed. After the introduction of bronze, a … Bronze significantly contributed to the ancient world and helped cultures of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Indus and China flourish. Lodestones were henceforth known … Gunpowder was discovered in 9 th century China where bronze was used in early firearms. Intrigued, he began digging and discovered the first recorded lodestone. Oldest Metal Object in Middle East Discovered in Woman's Grave. als were first being mastered, and they date this period between approximately 5000 and 3000 B.C. The Bronze Age is listed as one of the first ages of man because the science of metals is so important. Nuggets of gold could be found mixed with the quartz sands of river beds in many areas of the world. When man began to use metals, there was much basically pure metal to be found and worked with. The ability to extract copper from ore bodies was well-developed by 3000 BCE and critical to the growing use of copper and copper alloys. Answer Save. Relevance. More than 100 years later, John Ruth was living in northern Wisconsin when the urge first hit to pick up his dad’s old metal detector — the one gathering dust in a far corner. First reference to it as a new metal was made by William Brownrigg in 1750. As humans discovered new natural resources beneath the Earth's surface, traditional weapons were replaced as methods for metal-working developed. (Table 4.1). Who discovered copper? 17 Answers. Anonymous. As mining progressed, less and less pure metal was available to be smelted. In modern day Iraq, archeologists once found a copper pendant over 10,000 years old. First description of a metal found in South American gold was in 1557 by Julius Caesar Scaliger. Which was the first metal to be discovered by man? to 4600 B.C., and was first discovered in … Lake Van, in present-day Armenia, was the most likely source of copper ore for Mesopotamian metalsmiths, who used the metal to produce pots, trays, saucers, and drinking vessels. Ulloa published his findings in 1748, but Sir Charles Wood also investigated the metal in 1741.