It's not accurate to say that elements were "found" in the periodic table. The periodic table is a tool that organizes the elements, not a place where they are discovered.

The first elements to be discovered were:

* Gold (Au): Known since prehistoric times.

* Silver (Ag): Known since prehistoric times.

* Copper (Cu): Known since prehistoric times.

* Iron (Fe): Known since prehistoric times.

* Mercury (Hg): Known since ancient times (possibly as early as 1500 BC).

* Lead (Pb): Known since ancient times.

* Tin (Sn): Known since ancient times.

* Sulfur (S): Known since ancient times.

* Carbon (C): Known since ancient times.

* Phosphorus (P): Discovered in 1669 by Hennig Brand.

These early discoveries were made through observation and experimentation, and they were often based on the elements' properties and their natural occurrence. Over time, more elements were discovered, and the periodic table was developed to organize them based on their properties and atomic structure.