ively ▁m ined . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁pre ▁His pan ic ▁period , ▁met als ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁create ▁need les , ▁p unch es , ▁twe ez ers , ▁weapons ▁and ▁musical ▁instrument ▁but ▁its ▁most ▁important ▁uses , ▁especially ▁gold ▁and ▁silver , ▁was ▁as ▁j ew el ry ▁for ▁the ▁social ▁el ite ▁and ▁as ▁offer ings ▁to ▁the ▁gods . ▁Gold ▁and ▁silver ▁were ▁worked ▁by ▁ham mer ing , ▁pl ating ▁and ▁m olds ▁the ▁bl ending ▁of ▁these ▁and ▁some ▁casting ▁was ▁known . ▁ ▁One ▁pre ▁His pan ic ▁technique ▁was ▁to ▁ham mer ▁metal ▁flat , ▁p unch ▁out ▁a ▁design ▁and ▁then ▁layer ▁this ▁design ▁over ▁wood ▁or ▁le ather , ▁often ▁used ▁on ▁shield s . ▁ ▁Silver ▁was ▁less ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁pre ▁His pan ic ▁period ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁less ▁val ued ▁as ▁t ribute . ▁It ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁the ▁same ▁divine ▁symbol ic ▁value ▁that ▁gold ▁did . ▁ ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁co pper ▁was ▁almost ▁exclusive ▁to ▁the ▁Pur é pe cha ▁Empire ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Mich o ac án ▁when ▁the ▁Spanish ▁arrived . ▁Co pper ▁instruments ▁included ▁axes , ▁ho es , ▁sc yth es , ▁p unch es , ▁ch is els , ▁need les , ▁p ins , ▁arrow head s , ▁bro och es , ▁can es , ▁handles , ▁hel m ets , ▁shield s ▁and ▁small ▁b ells . ▁ ▁Col onial ▁period ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁tradition , ▁one ▁of