Gold in Southern Peru? Perspectives of Research into Mining Archaeology

Abstract

In contrast to the northern Peruvian coast or the altiplano the south- ern coastal area never played an important role in the discussion of gold metallurgy. This is partly due to the fact that research thus far never focused on the metallurgical relicts of traditional southern cultures such as the Paracas, Nazca, or Ica/Chincha.Areason for this neglect might be the fact that gold did not play the same prominent role in burial customs as it did in the more northern Moche area for instance. But now, first provenance studies provide evidence for local gold use. This chapter deals with the potentials of further research and provides interesting results of mining gathered from the ethno- graphical record.Some of the presumptions discussed before are also evaluated. There is now good reason to start with systematic surveying of ore deposits of the Nazca–Ocon˜ a ore-formation. However, a wider frame of economical archaeological studies needs to be chosen if the level and importance of mineral deposits is to be understood.