Summer 2021

Indigenous Peoples in the Lake Superior region have been mining and working copper dating back around 8,500 years ago. Our group is working to speak to copper artifacts and learn about the history of how they were thermally and mechanically worked using information we find in the material microstructure. We are focusing on native copper originating from the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale and the ornaments and tools created from it. These artifacts have been discovered across the Great Lakes region and beyond. As we investigate the traditional methods for copper metal working, we hope to continue to build a story about the talented people who discovered copper in this region, realized its amazing properties, and developed metal working techniques necessary to create a myriad of objects.

Student Researchers