Copper was not “discovered” at a single moment by one person; humans began using naturally occurring copper more than 10,000 years ago.

Quick Scoop

  • Archaeological finds show copper objects (like a pendant from modern northern Iraq) dating to around 8700 B.C., indicating very early human use.
  • Scholars generally place the first use of copper between about 8000 and 5000 B.C. in regions that are now Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and later the Indian subcontinent.
  • Because copper often occurs as native metal (pure chunks in nature), early people could hammer it into tools and ornaments without knowing advanced smelting.

Mini Timeline (very early)

  1. Around 10,000–8700 B.C.: Earliest known copper artifacts, such as a pendant from northern Iraq.
  1. 8000–5000 B.C.: Widespread first use of copper in the Near East (Anatolia, Mesopotamia, surrounding areas).
  1. By about 5000–4000 B.C.: Clear evidence of copper smelting and casting, marking the dawn of true metallurgy.

So, when someone asks “when was copper discovered,” the historically grounded answer is: humans have used copper since at least about 8000–8700 B.C., making it one of the very first metals known.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.