Most people have heard of the Stone Age, also known as the Neolithic Period, and the Bronze Age, the period when people discovered how to smelt bronze. Squeezed between these two eras is the more obscure Copper Age, also known as the Chalcolithic Age, which lasted from about 6000 BCE to 2000 BCE. It was an awkward time before nation states but after humans learned basic skills like starting a fire or growing crops.
When it comes to the span of human history, that's not a very long time, but the fact is a lot happened during this period. That includes popular myths and legends t pre-date recorded history. Some of these events and heroes are lost to or changed by the passage of time, but those are some of the best things to make movies about.
6 Iceman (2017)
An adventure drama almost three-thousand years in the making, this is a dramatized version of the life and death of Ötzi, the nickname that scientists gave to a real mummy that was discovered in the European Alps. His clothing, tools, and most of all his injuries gave some interesting insights into Copper Age life.
Ötzi was discovered in 1991 but his remains date from 3350 to 3105 BC, a time considered to be both Stone Age and Copper Age. He was carrying a copper axe which is of intense interest to researchers because it apparently came from central Italy.
5 Gods Of Egypt (2016)
Selma Hyack, the guy who played Leonides, and Jamie Lannister? Yes, they're all here, and thanks to some stellar costuming work they look great. The rest of the movie is really more like a cartoon, loaded with CGI and dramatic special effects, so not exactly a great choice when it comes to historical drama but a great popcorn flick. For those that appreciate Egyptian mythology, it's an ideal choice.
The film is set in a fictional pre-dynastic version of Egypt, which puts it at about 3000 BCE, in which the gods lived among mortals and Horus and Set were fighting for the throne of Egypt. Also, credit when it's due to James Woods who crushes it as a cranky but no-nonsense Ra.
4 The Scorpion King (2002)
The cities of Egypt were busy places in the Copper Age, and there were all kinds of adventures to be had in the desert, too. The Scorpion King was dressed up as a prequel to The Mummy but it could be a stand-alone movie. It was one of Dwayne Johnson's first starring roles and thanks to him the movie is fun, flashy, and doesn't take itself too seriously.
Don't even think about historical accuracy here. It's a fantasy popcorn flick in the same spirit as Gods of Egypt but with special effects that look like they came from the 1990s. The plasticine is part of this movie's charm. Who even uses that anymore?
3 Conan The Barbarian (1982)
The narrator introduces the setting of Conan The Barbarian like so, "Between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the Sons of Aryas." Both of these references are vague, and they're the only indications were have that Conan lives in our world and not some fictional pre-history fantasy world. This fictional period known as the Hyborian Age in the lore had a lot in common with the Copper Age.
This was a time of chaos, before the formation of countries or even royal families and ruling classes, which is indicative of the transitional period between the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. Atlantis could have sunk beneath the waves anytime between 9000 BC and 1300 BC, depending on who you ask, the "sons of Aryas" is a reference to the Germanic tribes that would eventually settle in Europe.
2 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999)
Egypt was an exciting place during this period in history. According to Biblical legend, Joseph was the only son of the beautiful Rachel and was favored by his father, ​​​Jacob. His jealous brothers sold him to the Egyptians as a slave and told his heartbroken father that bandits had killed him.
This musical is about how their plan backfires. Joseph's intellect and spirit guide him to the highest levels of Egyptian social hierarchy and when his brothers appear at the gates of Egypt starving, he's not only in a position to help them but give them a nice big poop sandwich to eat. There's also a miniseries about this period called The Red Tent that tells the story of Joseph's older sister Dinah, one of the few female children of Jacob that survived to adulthood.
1 Land of the Pharaohs (1955)
A great example of a vintage peplum flick for those that like them, Land of the Pharaohs isn't as much about the ancient Egyptians as it is about human drama. It takes place during the reign of Khufu, also known as Cheops, which puts the film between 2589–2566 BC.
The movie didn't do so well at the time, getting mixed reviews from audiences and critics who liked the spectacle but were put off by the scenes of palace intrigue, but it always had a dedicated fanbase and today enjoys a cult following. It's a change for those that want to experience the spectacle of old movies in this genre that aren't The Ten Commandments or Cleopatra. Martin Scorsese has placed it among his personal favorites, and when he wants to talk about movies it's best to listen.