Ancient American Ritual Bells
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Ancient American Ritual Bells Metallurgy emerged independently at least twice in human history, once in the Near East about 7200 BC and in the Central Andes (Peru and Bolivia) at around 1500 BC. The Central Andes contain some of the richest mineral deposits on the American continent. These include copper, silver, and tin ores, along with deposits of silver and gold. The metallurgies of Colombia and Mexico, both related to the earlier metallurgy of the Central Andes, also developed in mineral-rich areas. Metalsmiths in all three regions of the Americas made bells which they fashioned using copper, copper-tin, copper-arsenic, or copper-gold alloys. Historical, linguistic, and ethnographic sources make clear that in the ancient Americas bell sounds were sacred. In Mexico, bells were sounded in ritual celebrating human and agricultural fertility. In battle, the sounds of bells attached to warriors' shields protected those individuals. Bell sounds created the ancient Mexican afterworld, a sacred paradise populated by deities and filled with these sounds and shimmering colors. Central Andean and Ecuadorian metalsmiths often worked metal to make bells, which made up some 20% of their metallurgical repertoire. Central Andean and Ecuadorian bells are small, spherical (2-5 cm in height), and contain a loose pebble clapper. Two holes at the top serve for suspension, and an elongated slit was left at the base. Most bells were made from copper, or copper-arsenic alloys with arsenic present between 1 and 2 wt%. Gold and silver specimens, and examples made from copper-silver alloys and tin bronze, are also found. These Andean metalsmiths initially cold worked the bell metal to shape, then annealed the bell, leaving it in the annealed condition. Priests and shamans wore bells attached to their ankles and sewn onto garments. Bells also are a part of composite ritual instruments known as rattle sticks which were sounded in curing ceremonies and other rites. Metallurgy emerged in Colombia by approximately 100 AD. Although Colombian metallurgy was related to that of the Central Andes, it developed technically along different lines. Colombian metallurgy was based on lost-wax casting, primarily of copper-gold ritual objects. In Colombia, gold is common and copper deposits occur; however, the ore minerals required for a bronze metallurgy—either tin and/or arsenic ores—are rare. Bells
comprise some 30% of all ancient Colombian metal objects. They range in size from about 2 to 7 cm, they are suspended from the top by a ring, and contain a loose pebble clapper. Most are cast from coppergold (tumbaga) alloys containing various concentrations of gold. To enhance the golden colors, the castings were heated to oxidize the surface copper to produce the copper oxide scale, which was then pickled off with mild acid plant juices or other corrosive solutions. Repeated cycles of heating and pickling removed sufficient copper to leave the surface enriched with gold. These bells, like their Central Andean counterparts, were also worn or used by shaman
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