The Chinese had mastered the melting of iron since 500 BC, 2.000 years before the Europeans. New excavations proved that they succeeded in the mass production of cast tools and farm equipment after the development of iron casting.

3200 B.C.
A copper frog, the oldest known casting in existence, is cast in Mesopotamia.

2000 B.C.
Iron is discovered.

800-700 B.C.
First Chinese production of cast iron.

645 B.C.
Earliest known sand molding (Chinese).

233 B.C.
Cast iron plowshares are poured in China.

500 A.D.
Cast crucible steel is first produced in India, but the process is lost until 1750 when Benjamin Huntsman reinvents it in England.