COPPER

COPPER
   Copper was the first metal humans learned to work with. The earliest evidence comes from Cayonu in southeast Turkey (late ninth or early eighth millennium B.C.), where small items of jewelry were made from cold hammered nuggets. Large-scale copper production is associated with the Chalcolithic period. Especially in Anatolia and Palestine, quantities of copper articles were produced in the fifth millennium. Antimony and arsenic were often added to the copper to improve its working properties.
   The copper used in Mesopotamia originated from various places, notably Cyprus, Anatolia, Iran, the Levant, Sinai, and Oman. Copper was melted, cast into easily transportable forms (ingots), and then shipped. From the fourth millennium on, it was made into beads and all sorts of everyday items; later it was also used for cult objects such as statues, musical instruments, and vessels. The coppersmiths fashioned the metal into objects by casting, chasing, hammering, forging, and engraving (see CRAFTS). One of the most famous copper objects from Mesopotamia is the head of a royal statue found at Nineveh. It dates from the Akkadian periodand is believed to depict either Sargon or Naram-Sin of Akkad. For a short time during the Early Dynastic period, copper served as standard but was soon replaced by silver. Copper was also a raw material in the production of bronze and glass. In medicine, it was used to cure eye diseases.

Historical Dictionary of Mesopotamia. . 2012.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую
Synonyms:
/ , / , (esp. in a ship's kitchen)


Look at other dictionaries:

  • copper(I) — copper(I) …   English syllables

  • copper(II) — copper(II) …   English syllables

  • Copper — Cop per, n. [OE. coper (cf. D. koper, Sw. koppar, Dan. kobber, G. kupfer), LL. cuper, fr. L. cuprum for earlier Cyprium, Cyprium aes, i.e., Cyprian brass, fr. Gr. ? of Cyprus (Gr. ?), anciently renowned for its copper mines. Cf. {Cypreous}.] 1. A …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • copper — copper1 [käp′ər] n. pl. copper or coppers [ME & OE coper < LL cuprum, contr. < Cyprium ( aes), Cyprian (brass), copper, after Gr Kyprios,CYPRUS, noted for its copper mines] 1. a reddish brown, malleable, ductile, metallic element that is… …   English World dictionary

  • copper — Ⅰ. copper [1] ► NOUN 1) a red brown metallic chemical element which is used for electrical wiring and as a component of brass and bronze. 2) (coppers) Brit. coins of low value made of copper or bronze. 3) Brit. dated a large copper or iron… …   English terms dictionary

  • Copper — Cop per, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Coppered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Coppering}.] To cover or coat with copper; to sheathe with sheets of copper; as, to copper a ship. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Copper — (englisch für „Kupfer“) steht für: Amiga Copper, Koprozessor der Amiga Computer Copper River (Alaska) Copper River (Wisconsin) Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselb …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • copper — cop‧per [ˈkɒpə ǁ ˈkɑːpər] noun 1. [uncountable] a reddish brown metal used, among other things, for making wire and cable S: • On Friday, copper for March delivery ended at 98.9 cents a pound, up 1.9 cents. • The company is a major producer of… …   Financial and business terms

  • copper — Symbol: Cu Atomic number: 29 Atomic weight: 63.54 Red brown transition element. Known by the Romans as cuprum. Extracted and used for thousands of years. Malleable, ductile and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity. When in moist… …   Elements of periodic system

  • Copper — For other uses, see Copper (disambiguation) …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”