A metallic nugget held in a person's hand.

A History Of Platinum In The Middle Ages

06/26/2025|Brian D. Colwell|Industrial Metals

The history of platinum during the Middle Ages presents a fascinating paradox: while this precious metal existed in various forms across different civilizations, it remained essentially unknown to medieval Europe. Unlike the seven classical metals recognized by alchemists—gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, lead, and mercury—platinum’s story during this period is one of accidental encounters, unrecognized potential, and geographical isolation.

From the ancient Egyptian artifacts to the sophisticated metallurgy of pre-Columbian South America, platinum’s medieval narrative challenges our understanding of technological progress and cultural exchange in the pre-modern world.

Read about the platinum group metals (PGMs) here, and the other critical raw materials (CRMs) here. The complete history of platinum can be found here. Find the complete history of all platinum group metals here.

A History Of Platinum In The Middle Ages (500 – 1500)

The medieval period saw platinum existing in three distinct contexts: as trace contaminants in ancient artifacts predating the Middle Ages, as an actively worked metal in pre-Columbian South America, and as an entirely unknown substance in medieval Europe. While European alchemists devoted themselves to understanding their seven planetary metals, indigenous peoples of Ecuador and Colombia had already mastered sophisticated techniques for working with platinum, creating a striking contrast in metallurgical knowledge between the Old and New Worlds.

Chronology

500 – 700 CE – Tumaco-La Tolita culture continues producing platinum artifacts in coastal Ecuador, including masks, ornaments, and jewelry using sophisticated sintering techniques mixing platinum powder with gold; Transition period of the La Tolita culture sees gradual depopulation of coastal regions while platinum-working knowledge persists in scattered communities along Ecuador’s Pacific coast [1]
500 – 1500 CE – Throughout the Middle Ages, platinum deposits in Colombia’s Chocó region and Ecuador’s Esmeraldas province provide raw material for indigenous metallurgy [7]
600 – 800 CE – Indigenous metallurgists in Ecuador create bi-colored jewelry pieces using platinum-gold contrast, with platinum eyes on golden masks and ornamental objects featuring platinum inlays [2]
700 CE – Manteño culture emerges in coastal Ecuador, inheriting metallurgical traditions including platinum working, as evidenced by black pottery production marking their cultural beginnings [3]
700 – 1500 CE – The Carchi-Nariño culture in northern Ecuador works with tumbaga (gold-copper alloy) and continues traditions of precious metal working, potentially including platinum techniques [2]
800 – 1000 CE – Pre-Columbian artisans produce platinum-decorated ritual objects and personal ornaments, including nose rings, ear ornaments, and facial decorations using non-melting platinum techniques [4]
800 – 1500 CE – The La Tolita metallurgical legacy influences surrounding cultures, spreading platinum-working knowledge along Pacific coast trade networks [13]
900 – 1100 CE – Indigenous peoples of coastal Ecuador maintain platinum sintering technology, creating objects by mixing platinum dust with gold at temperatures below platinum’s melting point [5]
1000 – 1500 CE – Archaeological evidence from sites like Cerro Jaboncillo and La Tolita island reveals continuous occupation and metalworking activity throughout the late Middle Ages; Manteño metallurgists continue working precious metals along Ecuador’s coast, producing sophisticated jewelry and ceremonial objects as part of their maritime trading culture; End of Middle Ages finds platinum working confined to indigenous South American contexts, with 2,000 years of continuous metallurgical tradition about to encounter European colonization; During the entire Middle Ages, South American platinum working remains the only intentional use of this metal worldwide, predating European platinum technology by over 1,200 years [1, 6, 14, 15]
1100 – 1300 CE – South American platinum artifacts include small lead spheres inlaid with platinum, demonstrating advanced composite metalworking techniques unique in the world [7]
1200 – 1400 CE – Coastal Ecuadorian cultures produce extremely fine rectangular platinum-gold wire, achieving metalworking precision unmatched elsewhere globally during this period [8]
1300 – 1500 CE – Indigenous peoples near Esmeraldas, Ecuador continue producing artifacts using white gold-platinum alloys, maintaining metallurgical traditions dating back over 1,500 years [9]
1400 – 1500 CE – Manteño culture at its height controls maritime trade routes while continuing to work with precious metals including platinum in ceremonial and trade contexts; Final pre-contact period sees South American platinum working traditions still active, with techniques for granulation, soldering, and platinum-gold foil plating [5, 10]
1492 CE – Columbus reaches the Americas, initiating contact that would eventually lead to European discovery of platinum, though the metal remains unknown to conquistadors [11]
1500 – 1531 CE – Manteño and other Ecuadorian cultures continue platinum working until Spanish conquest, with conquistadors later reporting indigenous people wearing delicate platinum-plated jewelry [12]

Final Thoughts

The medieval history of platinum reveals the limitations of viewing technological progress through a purely European lens. While medieval European scholars and alchemists worked within their established framework of seven planetary metals, indigenous South American metallurgists had already developed sophisticated techniques for working with platinum centuries earlier.

This disconnect highlights how geographical isolation and cultural boundaries could preserve distinct technological traditions for millennia. The absence of platinum from medieval European consciousness—despite its presence in ancient artifacts and contemporary use in South America—serves as a reminder that the history of science and technology is far more complex and polycentric than traditional narratives suggest.

Only with the age of exploration would these separate metallurgical traditions finally converge, forever changing our understanding of the precious metals.

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