Pre-Columbian Mining and Resource Production between Southern Peru and Northern Chile. An Analysis of the Exchange Processes Concerning Lithic and Metal Resources Used by the Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Andes

A small-scale mining district in Southern Peru, Jichja Parco, was identified as the primary supplier of obsidian for over 10,000 years, while other Trans-Andean sources contributed to daily use materials. The study also revealed that the inhabitants of the Nasca-Palpa region began incorporating gold during Early Paracas and likely introduced copper at the onset of the Nasca culture. Notably, Middle Horizon findings suggest access to exotic cobalt-tin (Co-Sn) and cobalt-arsenic-nickel (Co-As-Ni) alloys from the Tiwanaku Empire's influence sphere. This research advances mining archaeology in South America by combining geochemical analysis with mining archaeological methods.

Gräfingholt, B. (2022). Pre-Columbian Mining and Resource Production between Southern Peru and Northern Chile. An Analysis of the Exchange Processes Concerning Lithic and Metal Resources Used by the Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Andes. Der Anschnitt, Beihefte. https://doi.org/10.46586/dbm.206