Copper Copper is a mineral. it is not a plant or a animal. Copper is a metallic metal. It can never be broken down into differnet substances by normal chemical means. Copper was one of the first metals known to humans. People liked it because in it’s native condition, it could easily be beaten into weapons or tools. Copper has been one of the most useful metals for over 5000 years. Copper was probably used around 8000 B.C by people living along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In 6000 B.C, Egyptians learned how to hammer copper into things they wanted. Around 3500 B.C, People first learned how to melt copper w