Precolumbian Raw-Material Exploitation in Southern Peru-Structures and Perspectives

Bibliographic Data

ID2638472
AuthorsThomas Stöllner (0000-0001-8681-3632, Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum, corresponding author), Markus Reindel (0000-0003-1223-304X, Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Zentrale), Guntram Gassman (Amt für Archäologie), Benedikt Gräfingholt (0009-0000-3059-4856), Johny Isla Cuadrado (Institute of Peruvian Studies)
Year2013
Volume45
Issue1
Pages105-129
Publication date2013-03-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueChungara (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0716-1182 • E-ISSN: 0717-7356
PublisherSciELO Agencia Nacional de Investigacion y Desarrollo (ANID) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4067/s0717-73562013000100005
OpenAlexW2007622148
SciELOS0717-73562013000100005
LanguageEN
Citations received8
References cited10

The article deals with the exploitation of raw materials during pre-colonial times in Southern Peru especially pre-Columbian mining and quarrying activities in the valleys of Palpa and Nasca. Between 2006 and 2009 the Peruvian-German Palpa-project has discovered several places related to the extraction and the processing of lithic material, ores and minerals. All places detected so far are locations with traces of small scale mining. The available evidence demonstrates that production of raw materials has been carried out since the earliest periods of pre-Columbian occupation of the region. Obsidian was transported to the coast since the archaic period and can be considered as evidence of the mobility of the earliest settlers. Gold processing is present in the region at least since the Early Paracas period: Its regional usage increased during the late Paracas and the Nasca-period: many small scale mining operations could be found that provide insight into the organisational level. In nearly all cases the Paracas and Nascapopulations have used and processed the rich mineral occurrences nearby the settlement areas. There are arguments either to relate metal objects with the coastal Nasca-Ocoa belt or with the large central Andean silver bearing deposits around the Lake Titicaca

Archaeological evidence · Archaeology · Archaic period · Art · Geography · Plucking · Prehistory · Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology · Geology

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