Abstract

This research explores the role of minerals in propitiation and fertility rites in the Andes. An ontological perspective is employed, using an ethnohistorical account and ethnographic sources, to open the way to discussion and contextualization of the archaeological evidence of copper found in the Atacama Desert. Focusing on its affective and propitiatory potential for the germination of life, we look at the presence of copper elements in various archaeological contexts. The so-called “hallucinogenic tablets” associated with these pieces suggest a new understanding of the ritual consumption of psychotropic plants, where the offering and dialogue with non-human entities played important roles.