Britannica Sources used in this answer

How did Hopewell craftspeople make copper ornaments and weapons?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Plaque showing a warrior and attendants — metalwork Warrior and attendants plaque, brass relief sculpture by Edo artists in the court of the kingdom of Benin (now Nigeria), 16th–17th century; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.

Hopewell craftspeople were highly skilled in metalwork, which has been described as some of the finest in pre-Columbian North America. To create their copper ornaments and weapons, they primarily utilized techniques of cold hammering and annealing.12

Rather than smelting copper ores, Hopewell artisans took advantage of deposits of native copper. By repeatedly hammering the metal to shape it and then annealing it—a process of heating the metal to soften it and prevent it from becoming too brittle during the shaping process—they were able to produce a variety of intricate items. This extensive use of copper sheet allowed them to craft diverse objects, including ornaments that were often sewn into clothing or inserted into headdresses, as well as various utility pieces and weapons.213