Metallurgy is an important indicator of the art of high cultures wherever it appears in Pre-Columbian South America. From Early Horizon sheet-gold disks, spoons, plaques, and ear ornaments that show Chavín deities and themes to the gold and silver walls at the temples of Cuzco, metallurgy was a site of technological innovation and development. This volume’s six papers investigate social and political implications of metallurgy, focusing on questions of the significance of metal objects in society, what they were used for, who had them, and the relationships of metalworking to the society as a whole.

Metallurgy is an important indicator of the art of high cultures wherever it appears in Pre-Columbian South America. From Early Horizon sheet-gold disks, spoons, plaques, and ear ornaments that show Chavín deities and themes to the gold and silver walls at the temples of Cuzco, metallurgy was a site of technological innovation and development. This volume’s six papers investigate social and political implications of metallurgy, focusing on questions of the significance of metal objects in society, what they were used for, who had them, and the relationships of metalworking to the society as a whole.