Cu

Copper

Ötzi the Iceman, a well-preserved natural mummy discovered in the Ötztal Alps, lived around 3300 B.C. He was found with an axe made of 99.7% pure copper. Isotope analysis revealed the copper came from Southern Tuscany, over 600 miles away from where he was found. This suggests the existence of long-distance trade networks for copper as far back as 5,300 years ago.

Most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were made from parchment or papyrus, but one scroll was crafted entirely from copper. Instead of religious texts, the Copper Scroll contains a list of 64 locations where vast treasures of gold, silver, and priestly vestments were supposedly hidden.