9) CHEMISTRY – PART 2
THE BEGINNINGS OF CHEMISTRY
(3) THE USE OF METALS – COPPER & BRONZE
Long back the ancients accidentally discovered copper. Copper is usually not available in the pure native form. They are mixed with other substances and that is called as copper ores. Well, the ancients might have burnt blue green copper ore without realizing it, and then they must have discovered the strange, unusually shining metal when the fire died out. This was copper and they understood what to do to get copper.
From then on copper was made and another thing they learnt was the casting of copper. When copper is heated sufficiently and melted, that liquid copper can be given any desired shape and after hardening that shape remains.
But copper had a problem. It is too soft, and cannot be used for implements where strength is needed. A way harden copper in some way was desired and then by accident an alloy of copper and tin was found and that alloy is bronze. This must have happened when both tin ore and copper ore burnt together by accident.
This new metal was so strong and so useful that the age that followed the discovery is called Bronze Age.
Bronze really ushered in the power of metals and it became a serious business for all the kings of the age to ensure a good supply of Bronze. Bronze was used for all implements, decoration, coinage, and war implements.
Bronze led the way to iron simply because Bronze is difficult to obtain, but Bronze remained supreme in its usefulness.