Optimized Hot Spot Analysis: Native Copper Production in the Northern Lake Superior Basin

Abstract North America’s Native Copper Industry is one of the oldest metalworking traditions in the world, with metal use in this region dating to more than 9,500 years ago. Although several studies have focused on copper mining and use, few have focused on copper production. As a result, little attention has been given to the waste materials generated during the production process. The study of waste materials is vital to understanding what metallurgical production systems look like and how they are structured. This article examines the geospatial organization of copper production throughout the Archaic period in the northern Lake Superior Basin. After conducting a morphological analysis of copper waste materials from copper production sites across this region, I examined this information geospatially using the Optimized Hot Spot Analysis tool on ArcGIS to identify where stages of production took place as people and copper moved across the landscape. The structure of this production system can help us understand the role of copper production in shaping how Indigenous peoples interacted with their material culture and landscape during the Archaic period.