When Christopher Columbus returned to Spain from his first “unexpected” voyage to the Americas, he brought news of native people adorned with gold and other precious stones. In the Ancient Americas, metals such as gold were seen as a manifestation of the sacred and were used to create essential objects for rituals, art, and offerings. But for conquistadors, gold represented wealth and power to pay for more expeditions and gain personal enrichment. This thirst for gold brought destruction to the indigenous cultures and all their wealth was diverted to Europe, especially to Spain. Soon, this New World was the centre of a global mercantile crossroads.
- Aztec and Inca gold: who were the Golden Kingdoms of the Americas before European colonisation. The use of the metals and its meaning.
- Discovery and conquest of the New World: brief introduction to the discovery and which were the most emblematic expeditions in search of gold.
- The gold of the conquistadors: melting and local mines, Spanish galleons, threat s from pirates and privateers, the eleven centres of gold production during Spanish control of the Americas.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Discuss about the significance of precious metals for ancient cultures of the Americas, emphasising in its meaning and legacy.
- Have a general introduction of the discovery and conquest of the New World, name some of the most important expeditions related to legendary cities of gold.
- Identify how conquistadors get the gold, what they did with it, how it was transported to Europe, and discover the history of famous Spanish San José galleon considered the 'Holy Grail of shipwrecks'.
