Old Copper Culture: 9,500 Years of Native Copper Mining Near Lake Superior. Native copper deposits around Lake Superior used from 9,500 to 3,000 years ago Copper was 99.9% pure, exceeding all other known deposits on the planet Native Americans didn't need to smelt the copper - skilled craftsman could heat and shape it

For over 6,000 years, Native peoples worked Lake Superior's incredible copper deposits. At up to 99.9% pure, it was among the purest on Earth — no smelting required. Native peoples made tools, fish hooks, needles, and beads. Mining concentrated on Isle Royale and the Keweenaw Peninsula in shallow pits.

Key Facts

  • Native copper deposits around Lake Superior used from 9,500 to 3,000 years ago
  • Copper was 99.9% pure, exceeding all other known deposits on the planet
  • Native Americans didn't need to smelt the copper - skilled craftsman could heat and shape it
  • Large copper chunks as big as a car were readily available
  • In 1997, a 26-ton copper chunk was pulled from Lake Superior - the largest known nugget
  • The easily obtained native copper deposits were eventually depleted
  • Mining operations concentrated on Isle Royale with shallow pits no more than 30 feet deep
  • Artifacts made included tools, fish hooks, needles, and beads
  • By European contact, descendants were only using small copper items due to resource depletion

Source: World's First Metal Artifacts: The Old Copper Culture (& Minoans) by DeDunking