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When did people first cast copper into molds?

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A periodic table element box for copper shows its symbol Cu, atomic number 29, atomic weight 63.546, electron configuration, and name. Icons indicate copper is a solid, weakly basic transition metal with face-centered cubic crystal structure. A key explains the symbols and color coding. — copper Properties of copper.

The casting of copper into molds was a significant development in the history of metallurgy, allowing for the creation of shapes that could not be achieved through cold hammering alone. Among the earliest known products fashioned through this method are copper axes, which were cast in the Balkans during the 4th millennium BCE.1

Before this innovation, copper was primarily worked through cold hammering, a technique used by groups such as the "Old Copper" culture in North America beginning around 4000 BCE. The transition to casting required several technological advancements, including the use of pottery to create crucibles and the ability to maintain high-heat fires using deep beds of charcoal. Early molds were often simple impressions made in clay, sand, or stone.23