What are some of the first recordings of silver extraction? Where and when were the earliest silver mines in history discovered?

Silver has established itself over the years as a valuable and practical industrial commodity. Even far back in history, silver was as a source of fascination and appeal and it wasn't long before silver was adapted as a medium of exchange. I have noted a rough historic timeline which depicts the earliest discoveries of silver mines throughout the years as an attempt to answer your question (I hope this settles your curiosity):

• 4000 B.C. – The earliest records of a silver mine, which indicate that silver residues were first found on islands located in the Aegean Sea and in certain parts in Asia Minor. It is believed that this was the first time in history where man was able to separate silver from lead.


• 3000 B.C. – The first silver mines were discovered in Anatolia, which is in fact modern day Turkey. The Mesopotamian merchants began to use silver as a mean of exchange even as early as 700 B.C.


• 2500 B.C. – Records of Chaldeans (ancient Babylonian civilization) using a mining process known as "cupellation", which is in fact the separation of silver from lead-silver ores.


• 1 A.D. – Silver was first discovered in the Roman conquered territory of Spain. Following this discovery, the Romans began to develop and exploit silver mines in Spain.


• 1500's – During the course of Columbus' New World expedition, abundant silver deposits were first found in Mexico, Bolivia and Peru. This discovery benefited the Spanish Empire, who was in control of these colonies, with about 300 years of affluence. During the 1700's, for example, the Veta Madre (Mother Vein) mine in Mexico yielded a staggering amount of one billion ounces of silver.


• 1850's – Comstock Lode mine was discovered in the State of Nevada. Over the next twenty years this mine yielded both silver and gold for a value of $500 billion dollars (equivalent with today's terms).

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