Tarascan Copper Metallurgy at the Site of Itziparátzico, Michoacán, México

Introduction

During the Late Postclassic, the most important center of Prehispanic metalworking in Mesoamerica was without doubt the Tarascan kingdom in the state of Michoacán. While metal was used to produce a wide variety of artifacts, typically valuable non-utilitarian goods, virtually nothing is known about the manufacture and the organization of production of this important craft. The following report offers a brief summary of the results of the FAMSI-funded Proyecto Santa Clara 2004, which involved surface survey and excavations at the archaeological site of Itziparátzico, located on the outskirts of the modern Tarascan community of Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán, in West México (Figure 1). Santa Clara is the home of the last, but still thriving, hand-worked copper craft industry in México. Information provided by written sources, along with the factual presence of smelting waste on the surface of archaeological areas, suggested that the ongoing production of metal crafts (particularly copper) in this community has its roots in Prehispanic traditions. Based on this information, the main objectives of this investigation were to establish the context, the stage, and the scale of copper production in this region, as well as its chronology.

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