This oxidation reaction is the reason the copper-plated Statue of Liberty is green rather than orange-red. The metal is ductile and malleable, and conducts heat and electricity well - reasons why copper is widely used in electronics and wiring.Ĭopper turns green because of an oxidation reaction that is, it loses electrons when it's exposed to water and air. Soldevilla, courtesy of the Arqueoecologia Social Mediterrània Research Group, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Antiquity Publications Ltd)Ībout two-thirds of the copper on Earth is found in igneous (volcanic) rocks, and about one-quarter occurs in sedimentary rocks, according to the USGS. This was found at the archaeological site of La Almoloya in Pliego, Murcia of south east Spain. Throughout history many tools were made from copper, like this copper awl with a silver-coated handle believed to be from the early Bronze Age. Copper may even have been the first pollutant that humans unleashed upon the environment, around 7,000 years ago. Researchers have also found massive copper mines from the 10th century B.C. In ancient Egypt, people used copper alloys to make jewelry, including toe rings. The copper probably came from the Caucasus region, located in the mountainous region covering southeastern Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) away, according to a 2014 article published in PLOS ONE (opens in new tab). The awl represents the oldest metal object ever found in the Middle East. was buried with a middle-age woman in an ancient village in Israel. The tiny awl, or pointed tool dating to 5100 B.C. The technological development ushered in the Bronze Age, a period covering approximately 3300 to 1200 B.C, and is distinguished by the use of bronze tools and weapons, according to The History Channel (opens in new tab).Ĭopper artifacts are sprinkled throughout the historical record. The next technological leap was creating copper alloys by adding tin to copper, which created a harder metal than its individual parts: bronze. Humans have been making things from copper for at least 8,000 years and figured out how to smelt the metal by about 4500 B.C.
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