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We humans have been moulding metal to our will for at least 3,000 years.  In fact, our use of metals mark the beginning of the aptly named Bronze Age.  These days we fine tune the properties of metals to perform in extreme circumstances – inside nuclear reactors, jet engines, rockets, et cetera.  To find the right combination of properties, we rely on metallurgists like Howard Stone at Cambridge University’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy...
Read a transcript of the interview by clicking here
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[CliffordK]

There is the often forgotten Copper Age.

I'm seeing different estimates of the beginning, but copper refining apparently started somewhere around 7500 years ago in multiple parts of Europe and Asia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Age

The Bronze Age is distinguished by the development of Copper/Tin alloys specifically designed to make much harder/stronger metals.  And, thus well suited to the subject of alloys and early metallurgy.

Good general discussion of alloys.