Mining and Metalsmithing By SP To Do 38,000 BCE Early mining began 9000 BCE Man discovers copper 5000 BCE Metalsmithing begins 5000 BCE Man begins using silver, gold, and copper 3500 BCE Mining became large-scale 2000 BCE Man starts to use depletion gilding 1200 BCE Iron begins to be used commonly in tools 1200 BCE Earliest iron production happens 1200 BCE Man started to use quench-hardened steel 700 BCE People used gold as currency 312 BCE Romans invented the aqueduct, which they later used to help them mine by washing way dirt to find minerals.
