The Inca metallurgy was used by the empire to make objects of utilitarian and ornamental value. You can find tools and weapons as well as vessels and accessories made of metals.
During pre-Columbian times, the Incas developed metallurgy. Both the extraction and purification of metals and the manufacture of parts from them were part of the metallurgical process.
In this area, the Incas were ahead of other aboriginal groups, since they were one of the first to use techniques such as smelting metals to give them shapes later.
It should be noted that not all metals were used for the same purpose. While bronze and copper were used to produce weapons, gold and silver were used in ornaments.
Gold and silver were very precious metals for the Incas, since it was considered that these represented two of their deities: the Sun and the Moon.
Likewise, the Incas developed alloys between metals, among which bronze stands out. Similarly, they were one of the first cultures to use bismuth mixed with bronze.
Characteristics and materials in Inca metallurgy
1-Objects made of metals were used in any area of the Inca making. Both ornamental and religious tools and objects are presented.
2-The tools used to be made of bronze, copper and brass.
3-Ornamental and religious objects used to be made in gold and silver, due to the fact that they reflected the sunlight.
These two metals had great symbolic and religious value for the Incas: gold was considered as the sweat of the Sun, while silver was considered as the Tears of the moon.
4-Gold and silver were used by members of the nobility, while bronze and copper were used by the rest of the people.
5-Alloys (mixtures of metals) such as bronze were used. The metallurgical masters of the Inca Empire made great strides when it came to creating alloys.
The typical alloy of Inca bronze was composed of copper and brass, with 3% of the latter material. Also, other alloys were developed.
Current studies of Inca objects that have survived the passage of time show that the Incas used bismuth to create bronze.
Bismuth has the property of making metals brittle. However, the Incas knew how to work this metal without causing the bronze to break.
This alloy included 18% bismuth and 9% brass. The resulting mixture was whiter than common bronze and was used in knife handles.
6-To extract the metals, various methods were carried out. For example, gold was extracted by passing river gravel through a sieve. Similarly, gold was extracted from veins in surface mines.
Silver was one of the most difficult elements to extract. However, it was one of the most used metals in the Inca Empire. For its part, copper was obtained from work in shallow mines.
7-The extracted material was taken to large clay kilns, in which the metal was melted to remove impurities.
This job required the action of many men. Which took turns blowing the fire, so that the temperature in the oven increased.
Plays
The Incas used various metals to develop objects that were useful in their day to day life and objects that served as ornaments.
Tools and weapons
Both copper and bronze were used to make basic tools and weapons. Among the objects created for this purpose are rudimentary shovels used for digging, knives with curved blades, axes, chisels and needles.
Also, there are household objects made of bronze and copper, such as spoons, bracelets and belts.
Similarly, the Incas created polished bronze mirrors, which resemble mirrors made in Ancient Egypt.
The Incas did not work with iron and much less with steel (an alloy of iron and carbon that the Incas did not develop).
For this reason, both their armor and their weapons were made of copper, bronze, brass and wood. In this area, the Incas produced helmets, spears, battle axes, among others.
Ornaments
The Incas used gold and silver as ornamental materials. This was done not because the aborigines considered these metals to have more economic value than copper or bronze, but because they reflected sunlight more than any other.
In this way, the use of these shiny metals became another way of worshiping the god of the Sun, known as Inti, and the goddess of the Moon.
Gold and silver were intended to be used in decorations. For its part, the possession and use of materials made of gold or silver was reserved to the aborigines belonging to high society (lords, priests and the emperor).
Some examples of objects made with these metals are gold or silver plates with decorative engravings, crowns, tiaras, ceremonial knives and goblets. Sometimes the vestments of the priests and the emperor had gold and silver.
Figures were also made that were used to worship the gods. The anthropomorphic sculptures that were intended to represent the deities stand out.
In the same way, animal figures were made that constituted offerings for the gods. In general, llamas, alpacas, birds, reptiles and cats were represented.
The representation of the llama was of great value, since this animal was considered to have special connections with the sun, rain and fertility.
It should be noted that gold and silver were not the only elements that were used as ornament.
Both the palaces of the emperors and the Inca temples were decorated with objects made of various metals, made by the metallurgical masters of the most advanced cities of the Empire.
References
- Metallurgy in pre-Columbian America. Retrieved on August 19, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Inca metallurgy. Retrieved on August 19, 2017, from incas.homestead.com
- Metalwork in the Inca. Retrieved on August 19, 2017, from boundless.com
- Pre-Inca Metalurgy Discovered. Retrieved on August 19, 2017, from livescience.com
- The Incas' Ingenious Metalsmiths. Retrieved on August 19, 2017, from csmonitor.com
- Petersen, Georg (2010). Mining and Metalurgy in Ancient Inca Empire. Retrieved on August 19, 2017, from books.google.com
- Inca Metallurgy. Retrieved on August 19, 2017, from ancienthistoricalresearchfoundation.com.