Editing Copper extraction (section)

===Prehistory===
[[File:TamarackMiners CopperCountryMI.jpg|thumb|Miners at the [[Tamarack mine]] in [[Copper Country]], in 1905]]
The [[Old Copper Complex]] in North America has been radiometrically dated to 9500 BP—i.e., about 7480 BCE—making it one of the oldest known examples of copper extraction in the world.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Malakof |first1=David |title=Ancient Native Americans were among the world's first coppersmiths |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/ancient-native-americans-were-among-world-s-first-coppersmiths |access-date=6 June 2022 |publisher=Science |date=19 March 2021}}</ref> The earliest evidence of the cold-hammering of native copper comes from the excavation at [[Çayönü|Çayönü Tepesi]] in eastern [[Anatolia]], which dates between 7200 and 6600 BCE.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Beginnings of Village-Farming Communities in Southeastern Turkey|journal=Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A |volume=68 |issue=6 |pages=1236–1240|year=1971|pmid=16591930|pmc=389161 |first1=Robert J. |last1=Braidwood |first2=Halet |last2=Çambel |first3=Charles L. |last3=Redman |first4=Patty Jo |last4=Watson |doi=10.1073/pnas.68.6.1236 |bibcode=1971PNAS...68.1236B |doi-access=free}}</ref> Among the various items considered to be votive or amulets, there was one that looked like a fishhook and one like an awl. Another find, at [[Shanidar Cave]] in Mergasur, Iraq, contained copper beads, and dates back to 8,700 BCE.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.tamupress.com/product/Proto-Neolithic-Cemetery-in-Shanidar-Cave,78.aspx|title=The Proto-neolithic Cemetery in Shanidar Cave|year=2004|author1=R.S. Solecki|author2=R.L. Solecki |author3=A.P. Agelarakis |page=53|publisher=Texas A&M University Press|isbn=978-1-58544-272-0}}</ref>

One of the world's oldest known copper mines, as opposed to usage of surface deposits, is at [[Timna Valley]], Israel, and has been used since the fourth millennium BC, with surface deposit usage occurring in the fifth and sixth millennium.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zmvNogJO2ZgC&q=timna+valley+mines&pg=PA583 |title=A Dictionary of Archaeology |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |first=Ian |last=Shaw |pages=582–583|isbn=978-0-631-23583-5 |year=2002 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/lifeinbiblicalis0000king |url-access=registration |quote=timna millennium. |title=Life In Biblical Israel |publisher=Westminster John Knox Press |first1=PJ |last1=King |first2=LE |last2=Stager |page=[https://archive.org/details/lifeinbiblicalis0000king/page/165 165]|isbn=978-0-664-22148-5 |year=2001}}</ref>

The [[Pločnik (archaeological site)|Pločnik]] archaeological site in southeastern Europe ([[Serbia]]) contains the oldest securely dated evidence of copper making at high temperature, from 5,000 BCE.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Radivojević |first1=Miljana |last2=Roberts |first2=Benjamin W. |date=2021 |title=Early Balkan Metallurgy: Origins, Evolution and Society, 6200–3700 BC |journal=Journal of World Prehistory |language=en |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=195–278 |doi=10.1007/s10963-021-09155-7 |issn=0892-7537|doi-access=free }}</ref> The find in June 2010 extends for an additional 500 years, dated to 5th millennium BCE, representing the earlier record of copper smelting from [[Rudna Glava (archaeological site)|Rudna Glava]] ([[Serbia]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Serbian site may have hosted first copper makers |date=July 17, 2010 |work=ScienceNews |url=http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/60563/description/Serbian_site_may_have_hosted_first_copper_makers |access-date=January 3, 2013 |archive-date=May 8, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508005006/http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/60563/description/Serbian_site_may_have_hosted_first_copper_makers }}</ref>

The earliest copper work in the [[Atacama Desert]] and the [[Andean world]] as whole dates to 1432–1132&nbsp;BC.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Scattolin, M. Cristina |author2=Bugliani, M. Fabiana |author3=Cortés, Leticia |author4=Pereyra Domingorena y C. Marilin Calo, Lucas |year=2010 |title=Una máscara de cobre de 3000&nbsp;años. Estudios arqueometalúrgicos y comparaciones regionales |trans-title=A 3000&nbsp;year-old copper mask. Archeometalurgical analysis and regional comparisons |journal=Boletín del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino |edition=online |volume=15 |pages=25–46 |doi=10.4067/s0718-68942010000100003 |issn=0718-6894 |doi-access=free |lang=es |place=Santiago de Chile}}</ref><ref>
{{cite journal
 |last1=Powell |first1=Eric A.
 |title=Andean Copper Age
 |journal=Archaeology
 |date=September–October 2017
 |volume=70 |issue=5 |page=20
 |issn=0003-8113
}}
</ref> Ice core studies in Bolivia suggest copper smelting may have begun as early as 700&nbsp;BC, over 2700 years ago.<ref>
{{cite journal
 |journal= Nature
 |author1=Eichler, A.      |author2=Gramlich, G. 
 |author3=Kellerhals, T.   |author4=Tobler, L. 
 |author5=Rehren, Th.      |author6=Schwikowski, M. 
 |date=2017
 |title=Ice-core evidence of earliest extensive copper metallurgy in the Andes 2700 years ago
 |volume=7  |page= 41855
 |doi=10.1038/srep41855 |pmid=28139760
 |pmc=5282569 |bibcode=2017NatSR...741855E
}}
</ref> Various sites of Pre-Hispanic mines and metallurgical workshops have been identified in Atacama Desert including those with remnants of chisels, casting waste and workshop debris.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Early copper metallurgy in Northern Chile |journal=Open Journal of Archaeometry |last=Maldonado |first=Blanca |volume=1 |issue=26 |last2=Rehren |first2=Thilo |last3=Pernicka |first3=Ernst |last4=Núñez |first4=Lautaro |author-link4=Lautaro Núñez Atencio |last5=Leibbrandt |first5=Alexander}}</ref><ref name=metprehi2010>{{Cite journal |title=Metalurgia prehispánica en las sociedades coster as del norte de Chile (quebrada Mamilla, Tocopilla) |journal=[[Estudios Atacameños]] |url=https://revistas.ucn.cl/index.php/estudios-atacamenos/article/view/375/361 |last=Salazar |first=Diego |volume=40 |pages=23–42 |last2=Figueroa |first2=Valentina |year=2010 |language=Spanish |last3=Mille |first3=Benoit |last4=Morata |first4=Diego |last5=Salinas |first5=Hernán}}</ref> Tin broze, [[arsenical bronze]], and [[arsenical copper]] were valuable goods produced in the [[Inca Empire]].<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Copper production in late prehispanic northern Chile |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |last=Zori |first=Colleen |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=1165-1175 |last2=Tropper |first2=Peter |last3=Scott |first3=David |year=2013}}</ref> About 74 km northeast of the Chilean city of [[Copiapó]] in [[Viña del Cerro]] the [[Inca Empire|Incas]] had one of their largest mining and [[metallurgy]] centres at [[Qullasuyu]].<ref name=Cortes2017p4>{{Cite book|title=Chañarcillo, cuando de las montañas brotó la plata|last=Cortés Lutz|first=Guillermo|publisher=[[Museo Regional de Atacama]]|series=Cuadernos de Historia |year=2017|volume=II|language=es|pages=|url=https://www.museodeatacama.gob.cl/sites/www.museodeatacama.gob.cl/files/images/articles-88574_archivo_01.pdf|edition=|page=4}}</ref> There is evidence of gold, silver and copper metallurgy at the site, including the production of [[bronze]].<ref name=Cortes2017p4/> When [[conquistador]] [[Diego de Almagro]] traversed the Atacama Desert in 1536 his men readilly obtained copper [[horseshoe]]s for their horses.{{sfn|Sutulov|1975|p=5}} 

Copper smelting technology gave rise to the [[Copper Age]], aka Chalcolithic Age, and then the [[Bronze Age]]. The Bronze Age would not have been possible without the development of smelting technology.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}}