Therefore, they can be used to make tools and machines. All naturally occurring metals are found in the upper rock layers of Earth. The first metals discovered were gold, silver, and copper. Because of their bright shine, each was made into jewelry, death masks, and art objects. An alloy is a mixture of a metal with other metals or nonmetals.
Bronze is an alloy.
About 5000 years ago, it was discovered that when copper and tin were melted together, a new material was produced that was harder than either metal separately. This material was called Bronze. Armor and tools were made for it and a period in history was named the Bronze Age. Alloys have properties that are different from the properties of the materials that went into them. An amalgam is an alloy that contains mercury, which is a soft liquid metal.