|
||
| |
||
|
Technology
About six thousand years ago, people slowly began to unlock the secrets of metals. They learned to smelt, or refine metal, by heating particular types of rocks. Copper was probably the first metal smelted, followed by tin, lead, and silver. Metal has many uses. You could mold metal into different shapes. Metal also conducted heat. Metal pans allowed people to cook meat and destroy harmful bacteria. Wood burns when heated and most rocks do not hold heat well. Iron was the most important metal to early cultures. People
used the knowledge of iron to conquer others. The discovery of iron made
it possible for the advancement of many civilizations in different parts
of the world. |
||
To cite this page: |
Technology
is the tools and skills used to build things. Today we live in a world
with amazing machines, but we can trace our modern tools to rocks. Early
humans used stone tools, and those tools were the first technology. “Stone
Age” humans used rocks as weapons, to break open things and to sharpen
softer objects.