Azogueras, Trapicheras and Women Owners of Mining Facilities in Charcas (Bolivia), XVIII Century

Abstract

This work aims to accentuate the participation of women in Andean colonial mining. In my career as a researcher I have found multiple testimonies of women who have had the profession of "azogueras” and "trapicheras" in mining centres such as Oruro, Chayanta, Paria and Carangas, that is, women owners of mining facilities who also exercised the profession, the same than men, managing the companies, mining quicksilver, negotiating with enablers and workers, declaring and recording amount of silver, creating partnerships... etc. On this occasion, we will put special interest in highlight some of these important businesswomen, who we suppose must have had conditions that were not always favourable, but were able to exercise thei ltiple testimonies of their participation in mining during the 18th century.