T63 Advances in Geoarchaeology (Posters)

Sunday, 22 October 2017
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Halls 4EF

PRE-COLUMBIAN GOLD ASSAY SPOONS FROM EL BRUJO, PERU

Paper number: T63-15
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

A horn spoon is a modern gold prospector’s field assay tool that is used to determine the amount of gold in an alluvial or crushed gold ore sample. The modern horn spoon is ~16 cm long, concave, flared at one end, and is made from a black ox-horn. The rough, black interior of the spoon holds and shows the gold “colors” or chispitas.

Four Pre-Columbian ceramic spoons recovered from the El Brujo archaeological site in northern Perú are similar in length, concave form, flared lip, and most importantly, have post-firing, black-painted interiors. The similarities in size, form, shape, and especially the black interior color are consistent with use as ancient gold assay spoons.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 49, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2017AM-293520

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