who discovered copper

Copper was not discovered by a specific individual but rather was one of the first metals used by early humans, with its discovery dating back around 9,000 to 10,000 years ago in the Middle East region. Early Neolithic humans found native copper and later learned to smelt copper ores. The earliest archaeological evidence of copper use includes copper beads from around 6000 BC in Anatolia and copper smelting evidence from about 5000 BC in Serbia. Copper became a fundamental metal during the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages due to its availability and utility for tools, weapons, jewelry, and other items. The Romans later called copper "aes cyprium," related to the island of Cyprus, which gave rise to the chemical symbol Cu for copper.