Prehistoric Copper Mining in Michigan: The Nineteenth-Century Discovery of “Ancient Diggings” in the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale (Volume 99) (Anthropological Papers Series)

Isle Royale and the counties that line the northwest coast of Michigan's Upper Peninsula are called Copper Country because of the rich deposits of native copper there. In the nineteenth century, explorers and miners discovered evidence of prehistoric copper mining in this region. They used those "ancient diggings" as a guide to establishing their own, much larger mines, and in the process, destroyed the archaeological record left by the prehistoric miners. Using mining reports, newspaper accounts, personal letters, and other sources, this book reconstructs what these nineteenth-century discoverers found, how they interpreted the material remains of prehistoric activity, and what they did with the stone, wood, and copper tools they found at the prehistoric sites. "This volume represents an exhaustive compilation of the early written and published accounts of mines and mining in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It will prove a valuable resource to current and future scholars. Through these early historic accounts of prospectors and miners, Halsey provides a vivid picture of what once could be seen." —John M. O'Shea, curator of Great Lakes Archaeology, University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology Contents List of Illustrations Foreword by John M. O’Shea Preface Introduction Chapter 1: Prehistoric Copper Mines Chapter 2: Early Reports Chapter 3: Samuel O. Knapp and the Minesota Mine Chapter 4: Who Wrote the Knapp Report? Chapter 5: What Discoverers Saw in the Nineteenth Century Chapter 6: Who Were the Prehistoric Miners? Chapter 7: The Fate of the Prehistoric Artifacts Conclusion Afterword by Henry T. Wright Appendix 1: Reporters and Discoverers Appendix 2: Lake Superior Copper Explorers 1819–1874 Appendix 3: Historic Copper Mines Founded on “Ancient Diggings” Appendix 4: Profiles Appendix 5: Further Readings Bibliography "Discusses how nineteenth-century explorers and miners discovered evidence of prehistoric copper mining in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and how that discovery ultimately led to the destruction of the prehistoric archaeological sites they found"-- Provided by publisher.