A dash of luck! Really no way to know, and anyone who tells you they know probably doesn't. It's still fun to guess. Consider a fire pit lined with rocks. Perha

A dash of luck! Really no way to know, and anyone who tells you they know probably doesn't. It's still fun to guess. Consider a fire pit lined with rocks. Perhaps an observant fire watcher begins to notice the rocks seem to change over time and separate, or a toolmaker decides to use one type of stone with a particularly good edge and a low luster. The discovery of bronze fascinates me more than iron, especially since its usage generally predates iron. Bronze needed someone to not only understand that metals were embedded in stone, but that by alloying them, you could achieve properties that the constituent parts didn't have to begin with. Add on that complex trade routes that distributed tin to distant shores and you've got yourself a fine puzzle for ancient historians to ponder.