When did smithing begin?

Blacksmithing origins first trace back to 1500 BC when the Hittites discovered the process of forging and tempering iron ore. When the Hittites were scattered in 1200 BC so was their knowledge and understanding of basic iron work.

Who forged metal first?

As with the cultural history of man, the history of forging metals springs from the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates, one called Mesopotamia. The earliest signs of metalworking date back to about 4500 B.C. The inhabitants of this fertile valley were the Sumerians.