Only on your part.... are you saying Europe was not ahead of N America, S. America and Africa?
Archaeological evidence has not revealed metal smelting or alloying of metals by pre-Columbian indigenous peoples north of the Rio Grande River; however, they did use native copper extensively.[10]
As widely accepted as this statement might be it should not be considered synonymous with a lack of metal objects, as it points out native copper was abundant particular in the Great Lakes region and "overlooks the simple fact that there was really very little to be gained by smelting..."[11] The latest glacial period had resulted in the scouring of copper bearing rocks. Once the ice retreated, these were readily available for use in a variety of sizes.[11] Copper was shaped via cold hammering into objects from very early dates (Archaic period in the Great Lakes region: 8000-1000 BCE). There is also evidence of actual mining of copper veins(Old Copper Complex), but disagreement exists as to the dates.[11]
Unlike their Southern counterparts, North American metallurgy had a more utilitarian purpose from very early on, shifting away from primarily attaching prestige to the metal artifacts (knives, fishhooks, bracelets).
