History of Natural Graphite Use
Graphite was used by the 4th millennium B.C. Mariţa culture to create a ceramic paint to decorate pottery during the Neolithic Age in southeastern Europe.
Some time before 1565 (some sources say as early as 1500), an enormous deposit of graphite was discovered on the approach to Grey Knotts from the hamlet of Seathwaite in Borrowdale parish, Cumbria, England, which the locals found very useful for marking sheep. During the reign of Elizabeth 1 (1533–1603), Borrowdale graphite was used as a refractory material to line molds for cannon balls, resulting in rounder, smoother balls that could be fired farther, contributing to the strength of the English navy. This particular deposit of graphite was extremely pure and soft, and could easily be broken into sticks. Because of its military importance, this unique mine and its production were strictly controlled by the Crown.
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