Gold was not discovered by a single individual; rather, it has been known and used by ancient civilizations dating back thousands of years. The earliest known discovery and mining of gold occurred around 4000 BCE or even earlier by ancient civilizations in the Middle East and Egypt. The Egyptians mined gold in Nubia around 3100 BCE and used it for jewelry, religious items, and currency. Various cultures around the world, including the Sumerians, Babylonians, Chinese, and Native Americans, also knew and used gold independently. In more recent history, notable discoveries include the Spanish finding gold in the Americas in the 1500s, Edward Hargraves' discovery of gold in Australia in the 1800s, and James W. Marshall's discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California in 1848, which sparked the famous California Gold Rush. Thus, gold was discovered independently in various regions and by many peoples rather than being credited to a single discoverer.
