Re: Pre-Columbian metal (Was: Olmecs and Africa ? No evidence.)
Eric Brunner (brunner@mandrake.think.com)
5 Jul 1996 17:43:23 GMT
August Matthusen (matthuse@ix.netcom.com) wrote:
: Hi Eric,
: Mind if I throw in my two cites worth about the exploitation of metal
: in pre-contact North America?
Hello August. Why should I (or anyone) mind at a geologist providing
cites on pre-Contact Period metals?
: Rapp, G. Jr, E. Henrickson, J. Allert, 1990. Native Copper Sources of
: Artifact Copper in pre-Columbian North America; in Lasca N.P and
: Donahue, J. eds, Archaeological Geology of North America, Geological
: Society of America, Centennial Special Volume 4, pp. 479-498.
: Vernon, W.W., 1990. New Archaeometallurgical Perspectives on the Old
: Copper Industry of North America; in Lasca N.P and Donahue, J. eds,
: Archaeological Geology of North America, Geological Society of America,
: Centennial Special Volume 4, pp. 499-512.
: Rapp et al. (1990) list 540 locations in North America (not including
: Mesoamerica) where native (i.e., elemental) copper sources were
: exploited. Vernon (1990) describes in more detail the Old Copper
: industry, a Late Archaic Indian manifestation that flourished in
: Wisconsin and Northern Michigan c. 5500 to 3000 BP.
Thank you for providing cites that place native copper working in part
of the New World to the Late Archaic (in modern Wisconsin and Northern
Michigan).
: Copper tools were
: fabricated by hammering the native copper and occasionally annealing to
: increase hardness. Tools found have included axes, awls, knives, and
: points.
I'm sure you'll anticipate that one or another of us may observe that a
tool-centric approach to metals has some typical problems.
: None of the artifacts reported indicates smelting was
: involved.
And of course we'd know if anyone had found a site with smelting indicia
in a Late Archaic horizon. That would be history <g>.
: Regards,
: August Matthusen
--
Kitakitamatsinohpowaw,
Eric Brunner
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