SITE DIRECTORY
Site 24 looking south.
Topographic map of Site 24.
Site 24 is the best preserved of four sites containing abundant huayrachina
remains that were located during the pilot survey. This site is located
between the Yana Machi and Todos Santos rivers on top of the north-south
trending Zodillos ridge, whose spine is formed by a mineral-bearing vein
radiating from Cerro Huayna Porco to the north. Nineteen pits and vertical
mine shafts have been dug into this vein, three of which are located on
the eastern edge of Site 24. In addition to these mines the site consists
of an isolated rectangular building (Structure 23) that overlooks a line
of huayrachina fragments and small, unworked boulders of the locally occurring
volcanic tuff which were probably used to construct low windbreaks and
pedestals for the huayrachinas. These are interspersed with nineteen relatively
discrete concentrations of huayrachina fragments mixed with cobbles, sherds,
small pieces of slag, and charcoal. The presence of Spanish olive jar
sherds as well as decorated Late Horizon wares among the huayrachina remains
at Site 24 suggests a sixteenth century date, an interpretation that is
supported by local oral tradition which indicates that these mines were
worked by the early Spaniards.
Remains of huayrachinas.
The excavation of one such concentration, 1.5 m in diameter, was conducted
in 2002. The deposit consisted of 8 cm of windblown sand that contained
50 kg of huayrachina fragments, 1.47 kg of slag, 339 sherds, and dispersed
charcoal; carbonized camelid dung was not present, nor has it been noted
among any of the huayrachina remains identified during the survey. These
materials rested directly on bedrock, and no in situ furnace remains were
encountered. Most of the huayrachina fragments were vitrified on the interior
surface, and they averaged 3 cm thick, although some specimens, which
had been replastered, were up to 6 cm thick. Air holes averaged 7.3 cm
in diameter, and lipping was present on some fragments.
Pounding stone for comminuting ore.
Ground stone, molds, and crucibles were not encountered among the excavated
huayrachina remains, although ground stone fragments do litter the surface
of Site 24. 44 pieces were identified and inspected in the field; of these
19 had surface wear indicative of crushing or pounding, 23 had no visible
wear, and two were used for grinding. No quimbaletes are present at the
site, nor are they closely associated with any other huayrachinas identified
during the survey.
Site 24 clearly reflects the use of huayrachinas during the early colonial
period that were in almost all respects identical to those employed today.
However, the fragments of refining facilities recovered from Structure
23 as well as the overall disposition of archaeological remains at the
site indicate important technical and organizational differences in the
productive process. The juxtaposition of mines, smelting, and refining
facilities and the proximity of these to Structure 23 is the most striking
difference from current practice. The placement of Structure 23 on an
inaccessible hill top without access to water, but with a clear view of
the huayrachinas and mines suggests that it in addition to providing space
for refining, it also played a role in the surveillance of miners and
smelters. Cieza de León, an early visitor to Potosí, mentioned
the opportunities that indigenous huayrachina operators had for “stealing”
silver, and Structure 23 may have been constructed specifically to inhibit
this type of theft as well as the illicit removal of ore from the mines.
The spatial proximity of mining, smelting and refining as well as the
possibility of surveillance suggests much more control over the productive
process by mine owners or their representatives than is currently thought
to characterize the early colonial period, and also represents a very
different way of organizing the production of silver than that practiced
today at a household level. Thus while the manner in which huayrachinas
functioned during the late sixteenth century appears to have been practically
identical to their operation today, the organization of the overall process
was quite distinct.
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.
Please direct any comments or questions about the project to the director,
Mary Van Buren.
Web site designed by Andrew Mueller