The Natives Use Metal

Rather, have widespread use of metal. Is this ASB?

To expand upon this question, why were the Native Americans so technologically behind? What kept them from developing things like widespread metal use?
 
I think Killer meant say, iron, not gold.

Either that or bronze, I am guessing.

Is there ONE reason why not, for example "they moved around too much" or is there a plethora of reasons for the different peoples?

Was there much metal use at Cahokia for example?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
That's my point, widespread use of metal, like iron. Why didn't they have their own swords, and/or other metal based weaponry to fight the Spanish with?
 
They used more or less only 'cold' metal working, not smelting and steel. It's what he means, I think - what if they learned it?

It's relievent to me, as I have a fantasy world with alt. history bits as influence - my 'amerindians' would have early such metalurgy.
 
One element was how close was ores needed - early mining was not deep in history, I think, surface mining due to primitive tools. Slowlyt men when deeper as tech advanced..

No easily taken metal, no metallurgy yet probably.

I heard americas have places where 'bog iron' 'grow, it is a possibility of a start.. or not.
 
Which Indians when built that sort of city which is overhung by a rockface? Did they do that without metal tools?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
Which Indians when built that sort of city which is overhung by a rockface? Did they do that without metal tools?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Anasazi. And yes, they did that with rock tools. Most of the metal Amerindians used was copper, and to the extent of my knowledge only Mesoamericans used it for weapons. They had copper axes, but they weren't as good as flint or obsidian. I've heard iron deposits are harder to come by in the Americas, although I may be mistaken, and the only metal they could get easily was not judged to be as valuable or useful as flint and obsidian.
 
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