Tin is one of the earliest metals discovered and used by human beings, which is a prehistoric metal. Tin was used by humans in ancient times from about 5000 to 6000 BC. Tin was valued in ancient times mainly for its ability to harden copper into bronze. According to written records and archaeological research, the bronze artifacts found in the pyramids of the third to fourth dynasties of Egypt are the earliest bronze artifacts ever found and were made around 4000 BC. In addition, two bronze swords containing 12% to 15% tin were found in a tomb of a king dating from 3500-3200 BC near the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Bronze has been used in ancient agriculture, commerce, art and warfare for over 2,000 years and contains up to 25% tin.

Historians use the metallurgical methods of early man to roughly divide the entire era. The Bronze Age has no clear beginning and end date, and tin bronze was used in Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe before 3000 BC. In Egypt, China, Western Europe and Northwest Europe, the Bronze Age was between 2500 and 1500 BC, the Bronze Age in Japan was closer to 800 BC, and the Incas in Peru did not transition to the Bronze Age until the 1st century AD.

Pure tin objects are rarely found from ancient remains. Tin bracelets and jars found in the pyramids of Egypt’s 18th dynasty (1580-1350 BC) are believed to be the oldest tin artifacts.