Abstract

LLERAS PEREZ, Roberto. The Metallurgic Transition: Metals and Objects among Colonial Indians. Rev. colomb. antropol. [online]. 2015, vol.51, n.2, pp.49-63. ISSN 0486-6525.

The pre-Hispanic metallurgy of South America is well known thanks to archaeological research and to the existence of museum collections. This is not the case with Colonial metallurgy in spite of the fact that it represents the transition between the aboriginal technology and the modern metallurgical industry. There are four tendencies that should be taken into account for the historical study of this transition: 1) The disappearance of the gold objects of the Indians; 2) The persistence in the use and manufacture of metallic objects in isolated regions; 3) The emergence of new Indian Colonial metallurgical industries and 4) The conformation of mestizo industries. The article explores these tendencies within this complex process and provides examples from Colonial America to illustrate them. Our preliminary conclusion is that the transition had diverse expressions and rhythms in the different provinces of Hispanic America. Many questions and research problems, which may guide in depth investigations into this theme, remain open.

Keywords : Metallurgy; Colonial Period; technology; cultural crossbreeding.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )