Did they just mine pure copper, or did they have to refine copper ores, too?
The ancients got copper by digging it out of the ground. They usually sent their criminals to do this dangerous and toxic labor.
They mined for the ore and then refined it.
Mine and refine ore - copper very rarely appears as a pure - almost always as an Oxide or Sulphide.
There were a few history shows on U-Tube on this. They took high copper content ore. put it into a clay pot then heated it till the metal copper became molten. They then pour the molten copper into a container, like the bones of a cuttle fish. When the copper cooled, they broke off the bone and started to hammer away with a rock till they got a blade. The key was having a fire that was hot enough. This involves a bellows. The second was learning to make a clay pot for these temperature. Search U tube for history of bronze age Britain.
