Peak of Potosí Silver Mining Boom (1570s)

Timeline

1. 1571–1575Potosí · Potosí DepartmentThe amalgamation process (patio process), originating in Mexico, was adopted at the Potosí silver mines, using mercury to extract silver from low-grade ore. This significantly improved smelting recovery rates and laid the technical foundation for the surge in output.
2. 1572–1579Potosí · Potosí DepartmentViceroy Toledo colonialized the Inca mita labor system and fixed it as a forced conscription system for the Potosí mines. Combined with technological innovation, silver output reached its 16th-century peak in the 1570s, and the city's population rapidly swelled to over a hundred thousand.