-
9000 BCE
Copper
Copper is the first material mined from ores. -
6000 BCE
Salt
Salt was discovered early, and humans had many uses for it. It could preserve food, allowing humans to survive the harsh winter. It would also be used as money for trades, enabling the economy to thrive. -
3300 BCE
Bronze
When tin was discovered, mixing it with copper created a much stronger alloy, bronze -
3000 BCE
Iron and Steel
After iron was discovered, the people found that if you mix it with small amounts of carbon, steel would be created and it was much stronger and more useful. -
800
Saltpetre
It is unknown when saltpetre was discovered, but the main uses of saltpetre are that when mixed with carbon and sulphur, it creates gunpowder. The first recorded discovery of gunpowder was in 800 CE though it is unknown if the discovery was earlier. Nowadays, it is used in food additives and fertiliser. -
Oxygen
Being an invisible gas, the discovery of oxygen was much later than other materials. Oxygen would be used in the creating of many alloys -
Silica
Silica is used for creating optical fibres which enable faster internet access and other technological advances. -
Polymers
Polymer is an extremely important material, as it is used in the manufacturing of plastic, which we use on a daily basis. -
Silicon
Silicon was discovered in 1824, however, like uranium, it was a long time before its use was discovered. A century later transistors were invented, and this was the beginning of the technological era. -
Uranium
Uranium was discovered only a few years after oxygen, yet it was 1 and a half centuries before humanity discovered its use. Nuclear weaponry.