Procesamiento de Metales Durante el Horizonte Medio en el Altiplano Surandino (Escaramayu, Pulacayo, Potosí, Bolivia)

Archaeological research at the Pulacayo site (Escaramayu, Potosí, Bolivia) reveals evidence of sophisticated metal processing during the Middle Horizon (c. 500–900 CE). Four metallurgical furnaces, associated with Middle Horizon structures, were identified, three used for smelting and one likely for refining metals in ceramic crucibles. Isotope analysis of slag, metals, and minerals confirms that the ore processed originated from nearby polimetallic deposits (lead, silver, copper, zinc), linking local extraction to advanced metallurgical techniques. This discovery underscores the region's technological sophistication during a pivotal period in Andean prehistory.

Lechtman, H., Cruz, P., Macfarlane, A., & Carter, S. (2010). PROCESAMIENTO DE METALES DURANTE EL HORIZONTE MEDIO EN EL ALTIPLANO SURANDINO (ESCARAMAYU, PULACAYO, POTOSÍ, BOLIVIA). Boletín Del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, 15(2), 9–27. https://doi.org/10.4067/s0718-68942010000200002