SITE DIRECTORY

• Main
• Map of Project Area
• History
• Traditional Smelting
• Preliminary Results
• Bibliographies
• Participants
• Archaeomag Report

10. After the lead has become molten and formed a lead bath, a large spoonful of ground and beneficiated silver ore is added. The lead bath is constantly monitored through an opening inn the side of the firing chamber and silver is introduced at irregular intervals. Finally, when all the lead has either evaporated or been absorbed by the ash lining, the small puddle of silver that remains is removed with a hook and plunged into a can of water. Once cool, the lining of the firing chamber is removed with a crow bar and broken up so that it can used as a flux in the huayrachina at a later date.

• Charcoal making process
  
• Huayrachinas
  
• Preparing Ore
  
• Smelting
  
• Tapping Lead
  
• Remains of Dismantled
  Huayrachina
  
• Cupellation Furnace
  
• Preparing Silver Ore
  
• Preparing Cupellation Furnace
  
• Final Product.

Funding for this project provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the Curtiss T. Brennan and Mary G. Brennan Foundation, and Colorado State University.

Questions about this webpage or the contents herein should be directed to: Andrew.Mueller@lamar.colostate.edu