Indigenous Recruitment Mechanisms for Silver Mining. Lipez (South Bolivia), 17th Century

Abstract

This article focuses on labour relations in a silver mine from the 17th century, located in present-day Bolivia, called San Antonio del Nuevo Mundo. The purpose of this analysis is to understand which were the mechanisms used to fulfil the workers needs that miners and other Spaniards had. Between forced and free labour we found different combinations of coaction and attraction in San Antonio. The influence of the main miner center which was Potosi was also very important in our region regarding migration, presence of skilled workers and adquisition of knowledge.