Aluminium in ore form is plentiful. It was the industrial processes that required the 'capital' and industrial network/know how to extract it.
A silver metal that does not rust and is easily worked / cast available to pre-industrial cultures....I would say it would be definately be regarded as a 'precious' metal
It seems that it was after WW2 that aluminium became 'cheap'. Alot of 'downed' aircraft (over Pacific regions, Africa etc), whose fuselage's were predominately aluminium, provided alot of scavenged metal for the locals to re-cycle. I have an African short sword with an aluminium cast hilt which is from the late 1940's
Regards David
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