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Lake-sediment geochemistry reveals 1400 years of evolving extractive metallurgy at Cerro de Pasco, Peruvian Andes

2009; Geological Society of America; Volume: 37; Issue: 11 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1130/g30276a.1

1943-2682

Colin A. Cooke, Alexander P. Wolfe, William O. Hobbs,

Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond

Research Article| November 01, 2009 Lake-sediment geochemistry reveals 1400 years of evolving extractive metallurgy at Cerro de Pasco, Peruvian Andes Colin A. Cooke; Colin A. Cooke 1Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alexander P. Wolfe; Alexander P. Wolfe 1Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar William O. Hobbs William O. Hobbs 1Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada *Current address: Department of Geosciences, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0340, USA. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2009) 37 (11): 1019–1022. https://doi.org/10.1130/G30276A.1 Article history received: 30 Mar 2009 rev-recd: 03 Jun 2009 accepted: 22 Jun 2009 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Colin A. Cooke, Alexander P. Wolfe, William O. Hobbs; Lake-sediment geochemistry reveals 1400 years of evolving extractive metallurgy at Cerro de Pasco, Peruvian Andes. Geology 2009;; 37 (11): 1019–1022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G30276A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The geochemical record preserved in lake sediments is a potentially powerful tool in archaeometallurgy. Here, sediments from Llamacocha, a small lake in the central Peruvian Andes, are used to reconstruct a 1400 year legacy of metal extraction from Cerro de Pasco, once the largest silver mine in the world. The earliest evidence for anthropogenic lead (Pb) enrichment occurs ca. A.D. 600 and is confirmed by Pb stable isotope ratios that match those of Cerro de Pasco ores. Early Pb pollution is attributed to precolonial smelting for silver production, which relied on galena-based fluxes. Following colonial control of the mine ca. A.D. 1600, the switch to mercury (Hg) amalgamation for winning silver resulted in atmospheric Hg emissions, as registered in Llamacocha sediments. Both Pb and Hg deposition increased through the twentieth century, attaining peak values in A.D. 1968 and 1942, respectively. Principal components analysis (PCA) identifies a gradient that differentiates anthropogenic from natural metals within the record, confirming that early smelting led to the volatilization of trace metals associated with local ore mineralogy. These results represent the first evidence for a major precolonial mining industry at Cerro de Pasco, provide a chronological framework for evolving extractive technologies, and are the first to document widespread Hg pollution associated with colonial Hg amalgamation. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.