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Potosí Silver Smelting System

Type Object Region South America Time 1545–1650

A colonial silver-smelting system centered on Bolivia's Cerro Rico mine, combining amalgamation refining and forced labor supply;…

Timeline

  1. 1545Cerro Rico (Potosí) · PotosíIndian prospectors discovered surface silver veins at Cerro Rico, prompting colonists to quickly claim mining rights and establish the earliest artisanal extraction and initial smelting facilities.
  2. c. 1548–1550City of Potosí · PotosíIn the late 1540s colonists introduced refining techniques such as amalgamation and built supporting workshops; combined with mita labor supply, this allowed low-grade ore to yield silver on a large scale for shipment to Acapulco and Seville.

Sources