The use and meaning of gold in ancient Peru

Abstract

Gold as a native metal is found in nature in quartz veins with pyrite and other sulfurous minerals from epigenetic mineral deposits, or in secondary deposits, known as placers, the gold from which is called alluvial gold due to its origin. This metal, with its bright yellow color, was a fundamental element in the Andean worldview and was related to the Sun, an astrological body that was considered a god by ancient Andeans. In this chapter, we will present the history of the gold used to create objects belonging to rulers that were deposited in funerary and architectural contexts, from the oldest piece fabricated in the Andean word to the use and meaning that the ancient inhabitants gave to this noble metal.