The Persistence of Indigenous Silver Production in Porco, Bolivia

Abstract

Technological change has interested archaeologists since the inception of the field, but persistence – particularly in a broader context of social transformation – is also a phenomenon that demands explanation. This paper examines the persistence of Indigenous silver production in Porco, Bolivia from Inka times to the twenty-first century, arguing that rather than solely being the result of either passive traditionalism or active identity creation, it can be most fully understood in terms of the intersection of technological practice with a changing local political economy.