Sulfur was not discovered by a single person because it has been known since ancient times. It was mentioned in ancient texts like the Bible (called brimstone) and known to historic civilizations such as the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Chinese. Early humans obtained sulfur from natural sources like volcanic vents and used it for fumigation, medicine, and in religious and military practices. Chemically, sulfur was recognized as an element in 1789 by the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, who included it in his list of elements. Later, in 1809, French chemists Louis-Josef Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thénard definitively proved sulfur to be an element, correcting earlier misconceptions. In 1823, German chemist Eilhard Mitscherlich discovered sulfur's allotropy, identifying different crystalline forms of sulfur. So, sulfur's discovery spans from prehistoric knowledge and usage to formal chemical identification in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.