Specialised technology and shared knowledge in the mines of Potosí, 18th century

Abstract

The aim of this article is to characterise the techniques and daily practices of underground workers in the mines of Potosí during the 18th century, in particular according to their jobs and situations of labour coercion. According to the sources consulted, there were three kinds of underground knowledge. In the first category were the survival knowledge shared by all workers, such as the ability to move and position oneself underground. In the second category was specialised survival knowledge, known to some skilled workers who were generally not subjected to the forced labour of the mita. These were the observations and micro-techniques that made it possible to assess the danger of the mining sectors. Finally, there was the specialised knowledge of production, knowledge of metals, underground architecture and the classification of minerals, based on experience and the use of the senses. This third category also included specialised and free labourers. However, some forced labourers, who were responsible for moving ores, probably developed a higher capacity for underground movements than free labourers.