Silver refining in the New World: A singularity in the history of useful knowledge

Historians have thoroughly documented the development of mercury-based silver refining in Spanish America in the late sixteenth century, and its use for over 300 years on an industrial scale unknown in Europe. However, we currently lack any consensus about the significance of this technology in the...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:History of science 2024-06, Vol.62 (2), p.175-201
Main Authors: Guerrero, Saul, Pretel, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Economic incentives
Mercury
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
cited_by
cites
container_end_page 201
container_issue 2
container_start_page 175
container_title History of science
container_volume 62
creator Guerrero, Saul
Pretel, David
description Historians have thoroughly documented the development of mercury-based silver refining in Spanish America in the late sixteenth century, and its use for over 300 years on an industrial scale unknown in Europe. However, we currently lack any consensus about the significance of this technology in the global history of knowledge. This article critically reassesses the invention and improvement of this refining method with the aim of addressing two interrelated issues. Firstly, how experiential knowledge and practical skills in silver refining were deliberately harnessed to solve a specific technical problem. Secondly, how economic incentives and patronage set the stage for empirical practices and a collaborative culture that facilitated the widespread use of this novel technique. In so doing, this article places silver refining within the theoretical constructs and historiography of useful knowledge, and bridges narratives that have remained largely isolated.
doi_str_mv 10.1177/00732753231185027
format article
fullrecord <record><control><sourceid>proquest_cross</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_2844679408</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><sage_id>10.1177_00732753231185027</sage_id><sourcerecordid>3065455509</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-c320t-ca116b068af521b5d671d6db162c7fcfea968563941703955ed2b73e6b0771f03</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNp1kEtLAzEUhYMoWqs_wI0E3LiZmndm3JXiC4qCD1wOmZmkjU4nNZmx9N-b0lZBcXUJ5zvn3hwATjAaYCzlBUKSEskpoRinHBG5A3o4vpOUC7YLeis9WQEH4DCEN4QI4YTsgwMqOeGMsR54fLL1p_bQa2Mb20ygbWA71fBeL-Cr83V1CYcwRKGrlbftcqtPbWidX0JnYBe06Wr43rhFrauJPgJ7RtVBH29mH7xcXz2PbpPxw83daDhOSkpQm5QKY1EgkSrDCS54JSSuRFVgQUppSqNVJuI_aMawRDTjXFekkFRHj5TYINoH5-vcuXcfnQ5tPrOh1HWtGu26kJOUMSEzhtKInv1C31znm3hdTpHgjHOOskjhNVV6F0JsJJ97O1N-mWOUrwrP_xQePaeb5K6Y6erbsW04AoM1ENRE_6z9P_EL9taGCQ</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Aggregation Database</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype><pqid>3065455509</pqid></control><display><type>article</type><title>Silver refining in the New World: A singularity in the history of useful knowledge</title><source>SAGE</source><creator>Guerrero, Saul ; Pretel, David</creator><creatorcontrib>Guerrero, Saul ; Pretel, David</creatorcontrib><description>Historians have thoroughly documented the development of mercury-based silver refining in Spanish America in the late sixteenth century, and its use for over 300 years on an industrial scale unknown in Europe. However, we currently lack any consensus about the significance of this technology in the global history of knowledge. This article critically reassesses the invention and improvement of this refining method with the aim of addressing two interrelated issues. Firstly, how experiential knowledge and practical skills in silver refining were deliberately harnessed to solve a specific technical problem. Secondly, how economic incentives and patronage set the stage for empirical practices and a collaborative culture that facilitated the widespread use of this novel technique. In so doing, this article places silver refining within the theoretical constructs and historiography of useful knowledge, and bridges narratives that have remained largely isolated.</description><identifier>ISSN: 0073-2753</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1753-8564</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1177/00732753231185027</identifier><identifier>PMID: 37525444</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>London, England: SAGE Publications</publisher><subject>Economic incentives ; Mercury</subject><ispartof>History of science, 2024-06, Vol.62 (2), p.175-201</ispartof><rights>The Author(s) 2023</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><orcidid>0000-0001-7563-3767 ; 0000-0002-9095-6449</orcidid></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><link.rule.ids>314,776,780,27903,27904,79110</link.rule.ids><backlink>$$Uhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37525444$$D View this record in MEDLINE/PubMed$$Hfree_for_read</backlink></links><search><creatorcontrib>Guerrero, Saul</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Pretel, David</creatorcontrib><title>Silver refining in the New World: A singularity in the history of useful knowledge</title><title>History of science</title><addtitle>Hist Sci</addtitle><description>Historians have thoroughly documented the development of mercury-based silver refining in Spanish America in the late sixteenth century, and its use for over 300 years on an industrial scale unknown in Europe. However, we currently lack any consensus about the significance of this technology in the global history of knowledge. This article critically reassesses the invention and improvement of this refining method with the aim of addressing two interrelated issues. Firstly, how experiential knowledge and practical skills in silver refining were deliberately harnessed to solve a specific technical problem. Secondly, how economic incentives and patronage set the stage for empirical practices and a collaborative culture that facilitated the widespread use of this novel technique. In so doing, this article places silver refining within the theoretical constructs and historiography of useful knowledge, and bridges narratives that have remained largely isolated.</description><subject>Economic incentives</subject><subject>Mercury</subject><issn>0073-2753</issn><issn>1753-8564</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2024</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><recordid>eNp1kEtLAzEUhYMoWqs_wI0E3LiZmndm3JXiC4qCD1wOmZmkjU4nNZmx9N-b0lZBcXUJ5zvn3hwATjAaYCzlBUKSEskpoRinHBG5A3o4vpOUC7YLeis9WQEH4DCEN4QI4YTsgwMqOeGMsR54fLL1p_bQa2Mb20ygbWA71fBeL-Cr83V1CYcwRKGrlbftcqtPbWidX0JnYBe06Wr43rhFrauJPgJ7RtVBH29mH7xcXz2PbpPxw83daDhOSkpQm5QKY1EgkSrDCS54JSSuRFVgQUppSqNVJuI_aMawRDTjXFekkFRHj5TYINoH5-vcuXcfnQ5tPrOh1HWtGu26kJOUMSEzhtKInv1C31znm3hdTpHgjHOOskjhNVV6F0JsJJ97O1N-mWOUrwrP_xQePaeb5K6Y6erbsW04AoM1ENRE_6z9P_EL9taGCQ</recordid><startdate>202406</startdate><enddate>202406</enddate><creator>Guerrero, Saul</creator><creator>Pretel, David</creator><general>SAGE Publications</general><general>Sage Publications Ltd</general><scope>NPM</scope><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>7SC</scope><scope>7SP</scope><scope>7SR</scope><scope>7TB</scope><scope>7U5</scope><scope>8BQ</scope><scope>8FD</scope><scope>FR3</scope><scope>H8D</scope><scope>JG9</scope><scope>JQ2</scope><scope>K9.</scope><scope>KR7</scope><scope>L7M</scope><scope>L~C</scope><scope>L~D</scope><scope>7X8</scope><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7563-3767</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9095-6449</orcidid></search><sort><creationdate>202406</creationdate><title>Silver refining in the New World: A singularity in the history of useful knowledge</title><author>Guerrero, Saul ; Pretel, David</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c320t-ca116b068af521b5d671d6db162c7fcfea968563941703955ed2b73e6b0771f03</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2024</creationdate><topic>Economic incentives</topic><topic>Mercury</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Guerrero, Saul</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Pretel, David</creatorcontrib><collection>PubMed</collection><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>Computer and Information Systems Abstracts</collection><collection>Electronics &amp; Communications Abstracts</collection><collection>Engineered Materials Abstracts</collection><collection>Mechanical &amp; Transportation Engineering Abstracts</collection><collection>Solid State and Superconductivity Abstracts</collection><collection>METADEX</collection><collection>Technology Research Database</collection><collection>Engineering Research Database</collection><collection>Aerospace Database</collection><collection>Materials Research Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Computer Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Health &amp; Medical Complete (Alumni)</collection><collection>Civil Engineering Abstracts</collection><collection>Advanced Technologies Database with Aerospace</collection><collection>Computer and Information Systems Abstracts – Academic</collection><collection>Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Professional</collection><collection>MEDLINE - Academic</collection><jtitle>History of science</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Guerrero, Saul</au><au>Pretel, David</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>Silver refining in the New World: A singularity in the history of useful knowledge</atitle><jtitle>History of science</jtitle><addtitle>Hist Sci</addtitle><date>2024-06</date><risdate>2024</risdate><volume>62</volume><issue>2</issue><spage>175</spage><epage>201</epage><pages>175-201</pages><issn>0073-2753</issn><eissn>1753-8564</eissn><abstract>Historians have thoroughly documented the development of mercury-based silver refining in Spanish America in the late sixteenth century, and its use for over 300 years on an industrial scale unknown in Europe. However, we currently lack any consensus about the significance of this technology in the global history of knowledge. This article critically reassesses the invention and improvement of this refining method with the aim of addressing two interrelated issues. Firstly, how experiential knowledge and practical skills in silver refining were deliberately harnessed to solve a specific technical problem. Secondly, how economic incentives and patronage set the stage for empirical practices and a collaborative culture that facilitated the widespread use of this novel technique. In so doing, this article places silver refining within the theoretical constructs and historiography of useful knowledge, and bridges narratives that have remained largely isolated.</abstract><cop>London, England</cop><pub>SAGE Publications</pub><pmid>37525444</pmid><doi>10.1177/00732753231185027</doi><tpages>27</tpages><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7563-3767</orcidid><orcidid>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9095-6449</orcidid></addata></record>
fulltext fulltext
identifier ISSN: 0073-2753
ispartof History of science, 2024-06, Vol.62 (2), p.175-201
issn 0073-2753
1753-8564
language eng
recordid cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_2844679408
source SAGE
subjects Economic incentives
Mercury
title Silver refining in the New World: A singularity in the history of useful knowledge
url http://sfxeu10.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/loughborough?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2025-01-26T23%3A01%3A49IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-proquest_cross&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Silver%20refining%20in%20the%20New%20World:%20A%20singularity%20in%20the%20history%20of%20useful%20knowledge&rft.jtitle=History%20of%20science&rft.au=Guerrero,%20Saul&rft.date=2024-06&rft.volume=62&rft.issue=2&rft.spage=175&rft.epage=201&rft.pages=175-201&rft.issn=0073-2753&rft.eissn=1753-8564&rft_id=info:doi/10.1177/00732753231185027&rft_dat=%3Cproquest_cross%3E3065455509%3C/proquest_cross%3E%3Cgrp_id%3Ecdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c320t-ca116b068af521b5d671d6db162c7fcfea968563941703955ed2b73e6b0771f03%3C/grp_id%3E%3Coa%3E%3C/oa%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_pqid=3065455509&rft_id=info:pmid/37525444&rft_sage_id=10.1177_00732753231185027&rfr_iscdi=true