In fact, it may very well be said that our present civilization would not be possible without metals.
Actually, historians do not consider the human race to have become civilized until it had learned the use of metals. The term "stone age people" simply refers to those who did or do not know how to use metals.
Even today there are some peoples who are so primitive that uses of metals are unknown to them, and they must be classed as stone age peoples.
It appears that use of metals began as early as 35,000 years ago with the Neanderthal man.
The earliest people who used metals could take advantage only of those metals, such as copper and gold, which are found in almost pure form in chunks or nuggets, perhaps just scattered around in places where the metals occurred.
One of the great discoveries of mankind was that these chunks of metal could be changed into more useful or more ornamental shapes by beating or pounding. Although the tools and equipment have advanced greatly, the basic principie of shaping metal in this way has not changed in 6,000 years.
