ABSTRACT
Copper and its alloys are some of the earliest metals known to man. The use of copper was recorded in northern Iraq as early as 8500 B.C. and in Egypt in 7000 B.C. Copper articles found in the Sinai Peninsula have been dated as being made in 4000 B.C. The ease with which copper oxide ores can be reduced to copper, together with the ability of the metal to alloy advantageously with other elements, resulted in copper playing a critical role in the development of civilization.
