DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1312650.

Abstract. This paper presents the first magnetic dating of metal items in Mesoamerica. The archaeomagnetic analysis of the slags, the residual product of the copper smelting process from seven archaeological sites near the town of Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán State, made it possible to estimate their production time. The results obtained thus far suggest the presence of smelting technology in this area 100 years before the Spanish conquest, synchronous of apogee of the Tarascan Señorio, until the XVIII century when the development of new technologies and a massive production of copper occurred in whole territories under the Spanish dominance.

Keywords: Slags, Copper, Archaeomagnetism, Archaeology of western Mexico.

Reference:

Punzo Díaz, J. L., J. Morales & A. Goguitchaichvili. 2015. Evidencia de escorias de cobre prehispánicas en el área de Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán, Occidente de México. Arqueología Iberoamericana 28: 46-51. URL: http://laiesken.net/arqueologia/archivo/2015/28/7.
PURL: http://purl.org/aia/287.

Publication date: 27 October 2015.