5 juin 2015
https://www.openedition.org/12554 , info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess
Izumi Shimada et al., « Pre-hispanic sicán furnaces and metalworking: Toward a holistic understanding », Institut français d’études andines, ID : 10.4000/books.ifea.5888
Over the past 25 years the Sicán Archaeological Project has labored to define both the technology and organization of Sicán metallurgy through application of a “holistic approach.” A major advance in this regard comes from 1999 and 2001 excavations at the 1000-year old Middle Sicán ceramic and metal workshop of Huaca Sialupe on the northern coast of Peru. Apart from ceramic kilns, our excavations revealed two clusters of updraft furnaces made from large inverted ceramic urns. Our replicative experiment showed that the furnace with charcoal fuel fanned only by wind generated a range of temperatures suitable for annealing to alloying of copper and gold. Spills, partial ingots, sheet metal scraps and other production debris indicate copper-arsenic alloy working. Neutron activation analysis of a charcoal sample from a furnace revealed an abnormally high concentration of gold, suggesting some gold alloy working as well. Our study included elucidation of the nature and management of critical fuels and other issues pertaining to the coexistence of two pyrotechnologies in the same workshop. Although both technologies heavily depended on local hardwood as their primary fuel, they also appear to have had a complementary relationship. Lastly, we consider how the urn furnaces and this workshop fit into the existing picture of regional metallurgical history and production. Our work demonstrates the importance of a “holistic” investigation focused at the production site and on the total production process and system against an in-depth understanding of regional context.