Reflexiones en torno a la noción de procesos de americanización a partir de la historia de la minería colonial peruana

Abstract

The aim of this article is to reflect on the notion of process of Americanisation by studying Álvaro Alnso Barba’s manual El Arte de los Metales, which was written in Potosí and published in Madrid in 1640. The article focuses on two aspects: the author’s invention of a method of cazos y cocimiento and the proposal of a new way to classify minerals. The analysis of this manual shows the regional and international circulation of Alonso Barba’s invention on the long term, as well as the incorporation of local knowledge in his proposal for a classification of minerals and its global circulation through this treaty. It also underlines Alonso Barba’s role as “connector” between forms of knowledge emerging from different traditions that came into contact in the Upper Peru during the 18th century.

Keywords

• Andes
• Peru
• knowledge circulation
• metallurgy
• mineralogy
• local knowledge