The ancient Native Americans of the Great Lakes region were the continent's most prolific prehistoric miners. By 1000 BC, the surface of Michigan was dotted with pits and adits where they mined the region's rich copper deposits. Metal goods from the "Old Copper Complex" showed up as far away as Alabama. How much did they mine? What did they do with it? Why did they stop mining? Find out more in this episode of How Minerals Made Civilization!
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