Since the beginning of civilization, people have used stone, ceramics and, later, metals found on or close to the Earths surface. These were used to manufacture early tools and weapons, for example, high quality flint found in northern France and southern England were used to create flint tools. Flint mines have been found in chalk areas where seams of the stone were followed underground by shafts and galleries. The mines at Grimes Graves are especially famous, and like most other flint mines, are Neolithic in origin (ca 4000 BC-ca 3000 BC). Other hard rocks mined or collected for axes included the greenstone of the Langdale axe industry based in the English Lake District.
The oldest known mine on archaeological record is the "Lion Cave" in Swaziland. At this site, which by radiocarbon dating proves the mine to be about 43,000 years old, paleolithic humans mined mineral hematite, which contained iron and was ground to produce the red pigment ochre. Mines of a similar age in Hungary are believed to be sites where Neanderthals may have mined flint for weapons and tools

Chalcolithic copper mine in Timna Valley, Negev Desert, Israel.

An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and is hydrophobic but soluble in organic solvents. Oils have a high carbon and hydrogen content and are nonpolar substances. The general definition above includes compound classes with, and uses, including vegetable oils, petrochemical oils, and volatile essential oils. All oils can be traced back to organic sources.
Health
Health advantages are claimed for a number of specific oils such as omega-3 oils, evening primrose oil, olive oil, andcoconut oil. Trans fats, often produced by hydrogenating vegetable oils, are known to be harmful to health.
Oil is used on hair to give it a lustrous look. It helps to avoid tangles and roughness to the hair. It also helps the hair to be stabilized and grow faster. See Hair conditioner. Anointing ones head with oil is a ritualistic practice in many countries.
Main article: Petroleum
Almost all oils burn in aerosol form generating heat, which can be used directly, or converted into other forms of fuels by various means. The oil that is pumped from the ground is then shipped via oil tanker to an oil refinery. There, it is converted from crude oil to diesel fuel (petrodiesel), ethane (and other short-chain alkanes), fuel oils (heaviest of commercial fuels, used in ships/furnaces), gasoline (petrol), jet fuel, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas.
Oil and any of its more refined products have been used to create electricity. This can be done by means of a steam engine, or by means of a turbine driven by exhaust gases. A steam engine turns the thermal energy into rotary motion, which can then be transformed into electricity, by means of a generator. In an exhaust gas turbine, the combustion products from burning the fuel expand, thereby turning a turbine. The turbine is coupled to an electrical generator.
Due to their non-polarity, oils do not easily adhere to other substances. This makes oils useful as lubricants for various engineering purposes. Mineral oils are more suitable than biological oils, which degrade rapidly in most environmental conditions.
Color pigments can be easily suspended in oil, making it suitable as a supporting medium for paints. The slow drying process and miscibility of oil facilitates a realistic style. This method has been used since the 15th century.
Main article: Petrochemicals
Crude oil can be processed into petroleum; "petrochemicals" are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbon origin. They are used in products such as detergents, fertilizers, medicines, paints, plastics, synthetic fibres, and synthetic rubber

A bottle of olive oil used in food.