Who Discovered Iron
Iron is a metal with the chemical symbol Fe. But who discovered iron? This post will answer that question and then tell you a few interesting facts about iron.
Who Discovered Iron?
Unfortunately, no one knows who was the first person to discover iron. Iron has been used since prehistory. The Ancient Egyptians and Sumerians began using iron on the tips of spears and in some ornaments around 4000 BC. They obtained the iron from meteorites that hit the earth. Sometime between 2000 and 1200 BC the smelting of iron (that is, obtaining iron metal from iron ore) began in either India, Anatolia or Caucasus. We don’t know who was the first to invent this process as artifacts containing iron are found throughout the history of these civilizations.
Summary: We don’t don’t who first discovered iron. However, we do know that the first people who used iron (Egyptians and Sumerians) discovered it in meteorites.
Interesting Facts About Iron
- It is very important that humans consume a high amount of iron. Good sources of iron include red meat, fish, lentils, beans, chickpeas, tofu and leaf vegetables.
- Iron is the sixth most abundant element in the Universe.
- Iron is the most abundant element in the core of red giants (giant stars with low mass).
- Cast iron was first produced in China around 550 BC.
Other Great Discoveries:
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