When worlds collide : European-Indigenous copper production during the contact and early colonial period of MichoacaÌn, Mexico (1521-1607)
The Spanish conquistadors arrived in the territory of today's Mexico in 1519 and immediately entered in contact with the indigenous people that inhabited this vast territory. This encounter put the Spaniards in contact with multiple social groups and with their languages, religions, socio-political and economic organizations, world views, and also technologies. This dissertation will focus on one of those technological encounters: the Indigenous-Spanish copper metallurgy of the 16th century in the region of MichoacaÌn and its socio-cultural, political and economic background. During the entire colonial period, the South-Central region of MichoacaÌn, Mexico was the main producer of copper in New Spain and one of the most important loci of production in the whole Spanish empire. Copper was a fundamental material for artillery, coinage and silver extraction, not to mention its importance in the manufacture of all sorts of daily life items (cauldrons, pans, knives, spoons etc.). However, when the Spaniards arrived, they had an almost complete lack of copper extraction knowledge. Spain did not have any copper mining operation at the moment nor an established copper production industry and all the copper consumed
Garcia Zaldua, Johan Sebastian
When worlds collide : European-Indigenous copper production during the contact and early colonial period of MichoacaÌn, Mexico (1521-1607). The Spanish conquistadors arrived in the territory of today's Mexico in 1519 and immediately entered in contact with the indigenous people that inhabited this vast territory. This encounter put the Spaniards in contact with multiple social groups and with their languages, religions, socio-political and economic organizations, world views, and also technologies. This dissertation will focus on one of those technological encounters: the Indigenous-Spanish copper metallurgy of the 16th century in the region of MichoacaÌn and its socio-cultural, political and economic background. During the entire colonial period, the South-Central region of MichoacaÌn, Mexico was the main producer of copper in New Spain and one of the most important loci of production in the whole Spanish empire. Copper was a fundamental material for artillery, coinage and silver extraction, not to mention its importance in the manufacture of all sorts of daily life items (cauldrons, pans, knives, spoons etc.). However, when the Spaniards arrived, they had an almost complete lack of copper extraction knowledge. Spain did not have any copper mining operation at the moment nor an established copper production industry and all the copper consumed
world european indigenous copper_production contact early colonial_period mexico spanish arrive territory today mexico immediately enter contact indigenous_people inhabit vast territory encounter put spaniards contact multiple social_group language religion socio_political economic_organization world_view also technology focus_one technological encounter indigenous spanish copper metallurgy region socio_cultural political_economic background entire colonial_period south_central region mexico main producer copper new spain one_important locus production whole spanish empire copper fundamental material artillery coinage silver extraction mention importance manufacture sort daily_life item pan knife etc however spaniards arrive almost_complete lack copper extraction knowledge spain copper mining operation moment establish copper_production industry copper consume