It's impossible to say definitively who first separated copper from its ore, as the practice likely predates written records. However, archaeological evidence suggests that people were extracting and working with copper as early as 8000 BCE in the Middle East.

Here's a breakdown of what we know:

* Early Copper Working: The earliest known evidence of copper working comes from the Middle East, specifically from Çatalhöyük in Turkey, where copper artifacts have been dated to around 8000 BCE.

* Possible Earlier Evidence: There is some evidence suggesting that copper may have been worked even earlier in regions like Southeast Asia, but this is still debated and not as well-established.

* Techniques: Early copper working likely involved simple methods like smelting and reduction, where the ore was heated with charcoal to extract the metal.

Ultimately, while we can't pinpoint the exact first individuals to separate copper from its ore, the discovery of copper and its use in early civilizations marked a significant milestone in human history, paving the way for the development of metalworking and the Bronze Age.