17G PRE-COLUMBIAN COPPER-MINING 



found in the neighborliood, in the midst of Avhich were a i'^w pieces of 

 the copper produced from the ore on the spot by the prehistoric smelt- 

 ers.* I^o iron tools or signs of their use were found in this mine, which 

 was assigned by the arclueologist who examined it to the time of the 

 neighboring lake dwellers, who used its copper for weapons and tools. 

 Another mine in the Tyrol, referred to by the siuue author, was also 

 apparently worked to sup])]y a colony of lake dwellers situated near by. 



It might be expected on l)oth mineralogical and metallurgical grounds 

 that copper would be used before bronze, and even before smelting was 

 discovered, because copper, like gold and silver, is found in the native 

 state in many places, while considerable metallurgical skill is necessary 

 for the production of bronze. Moreover, bronze is an alloy of copper 

 and tin, and, except in the comparatively rare cases where copper 

 and tin ores occur together, tin would have to be transported to the 

 copper-smelters to produce the alloy. In North America,! while cop- 

 per was known to the natives, bronze had not appeared at the epoch of 

 discovery by Europeans, and neither smelting nor even melting was 

 necessary for the production of the copper arti('les found in use by the 

 discoverers. 



The first comers to the northern part of tliis continent were struck 

 with the absence of metals in the nati\'e weapons and implements, and 

 found their place supj)lied by stone and bone. The iidiabitauts were 

 in the neolithic stage of culture. They were, indeed, in possession o! 

 copper, but, as far as the discoverers observed, it was almost exclusively 

 used for ornamental purposes, and formed, apparently, no part of the 

 native equipment in the arts of life. Exclusive of the [Spaniards, the 

 earliest voyagers who left records or reports of their explorations sailed 

 along the coast, or visited different parts of it, from Labrador to Flor- 

 ida, and the inhabitants of the whole seaboard were found sparingly 

 in possession of the "red metal." Thus, in the account of Cabot's voy 

 age in 1497, given in Hakluyt, there is this brief statement: "Het: 

 (Cabot) declareth further that in many places of these Regions he saw 

 great plentie of copper among the inhabitants." The account is a 

 translation from Peter Martyr, and the words '^ great plentie of " are not 

 warranted by the original. J Cabot's observations were made on the 

 northern coast of the continent, and he went as far as 60° north lati- 

 tude. A similar brief statement is given in the account of the voyage 

 of Ccrtereal in 1500, who is said to have gone as far north as 50°. The 

 account (in llamusio) describes the painted inhabitants, their clothing 

 of skins, and other particulars, and states that they had bracelets of 

 silver and copper. The mention of silver is unfortunate. Verrazano's 



* A piece of this copper gave, on analysis : Copper, 98'46 per cent ; sulpliur, 0'09 per 

 cent; slag, 0-44 per cent, while a copper tool found in the worliings gave copper, 

 97-78 per cent; nickel, 0-88 ])er cent; iron, a trace; lead, 0-05 per cent; sulphur, 0-24 

 per cent; slag, 0'07 per cent. 



t By North America is meant only the nou-Spanish portion of the country, 



t Orlchalciim in plerisqae locis ne ftdisse apnd hivohts jjra'dicut. 



