But in ancient times I suspect we had wooden chalices.
I doubt it. The ancients knew all about how to fashion gold and silver, alabaster, etc. The Roman canon that speaks of the “precious chalice” is very old indeed.
The chalice is derived from Hebrew Passover ceremonies. I’ve never seen a wooden such cup... ever. The first chalice was probably stoneware; The Sancta Caliz in Barcelona, a 1st-century B.C. Syrian articfact with a history tracing back to the 2nd century as the chalice of the Last Supper, is agate, a semi-precious stone.
Very unlikely. Wooden cups were used by the peasantry for everyday, not for ritual and ceremony. Even the barbarians had cups and ornaments of precious metal.