An ancient lump of vitrified soil, discovered at a Neolithic site in Türkiye, challenges our understanding of early metallurgy, suggesting that experiments with copper smelting may have occurred around 10,800 years ago, when humans were still primarily hunter-gatherers. This finding predates the oldest known examples of copper metallurgy from Serbia, which date back to 5350-4600 BC. The lump, found near cooking fires and animal bones, shows intentional exposure to high temperatures, with evidence indicating it reached around 1,000°C (1,830°F) and cooled rapidly. Researchers note a depression on the lump, likely from a furnace, but no actual furnace or metallurgical byproducts like slag have been discovered at the site, making definitive conclusions difficult. They suggest that while there is no direct evidence of large-scale metallurgy, the findings indicate early investigations into metallurgical processes. The study was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.
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