it was malleable and could be readily hammered into shape at room temperature. There seemed to be no need for other ways to shape gold. It was the subsequent discovery of copper that gave rise to the need for casting. Although copper could be forged to shape the process was more difficult (due to strain hardening) and limited to relatively simple forms. Historians believe that hundreds of years elapsed before the process of casting , copper was first performed ., probably by accident during the reduction for hammering the metal into some useful form. Thus, through serendipity, the art of casting was born. It is likely that the discovery occurred in Mesopotamia, and the ‘’technology’’ quickly spread throughout the rest of the ancient world.by.