Mercury, Mining, and Empire: The Human and Ecological Cost of Colonial Silver Mining in the Andes

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r ect o r unningfo ot i mercury, mining, and empire t ii verso r unningfo ot r ect o r unningfo ot iii ind ian a univers it y pr ess Bloomington and Indianapolis Mercury, M i n i n g , and e M p i r e ἀ e Human and Ecological Cost of Colonial Silver Mining in the Andes Nicho l a s A. Ro bins t iv verso r unningfo ot This book is a publication of Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, Indiana 47404-3797 USA www.iupress.indiana.edu Telephone orders 800-842-6796 Fax orders 812-8 55-7931 Orders by e-mail iuporder@indiana.edu© 2011 b y Nicholas A. Robins All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition. ∞ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences— Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANS I Z39.48-1992. Manufactured in the United States of America librar y of c ongr ess ca t al oging-in-publica tio n dat a Robins, Nicholas A., [date] Mercury, mining, and empire : the human and ecological cost of colonial silver mining in the Andes / Nicholas A. Robins. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-253-3 5651-2 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. Silver mines and mining—Bolivia—Potosí (Dept.)—History. 2. Silver mines and mining—Health aspects—Bolivia—Potosí (Dept.) 3. Silver mines and mining—Environmental aspects—Bolivia—Potosí (Dept.) 4. Mercury mines and mining—Peru—Huancavelica—History. 5. Mercury mines and mining—Health aspects—Peru—Huancavelica. 6. Mercury mines and mining—Environmental aspects— Peru—Huancavelica. 7. Indians, Treatment of—Bolivia—Potosí (Dept.)—History. 8. Indians , Treatment of—Peru—Huancavelica—History. 9. Environmental degradation—Bolivia —Potosí (Dept.) 10. Environmental degradation—Peru—Huancavelica. I. Title. hd9537.b63p676 2011 363.738'49—dc22 2011001625 1 2 3 4 5 16 1 5 1 4 13 12 11 r ect o r unningfo ot v t ἀ is book is dedicated to the residents of Huancavelica and Potosí, past, present, and future. And to Marjorie McGann Robins vi verso r unningfo ot ...