The College of Science weekly video series, Mineral Monday, explores the many minerals fossils and historical objects on display at the W.M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum as told by curator Garrett Barmore. This week's episode explores the Keck Museum's two cases of native copper from the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan.
Native copper – similar to a nugget of gold – is a nugget of copper. The copper crystals form as either dodecahedron or octahedron shapes.
The earliest metallurgy and harvesting of copper was about 7,000 years ago by Native Americans.
More about the Keck Museum and Mineral Monday
Located in the Mackay School of Mines building at the ΒιΆΉΣ³», the W.M. Keck Earth Science and Mineral Engineering Museum is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the first Saturday of the month from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
The Keck Museum houses an outstanding collection of minerals, ores, fossil specimens, and photographs, in addition to mining related relics. The museum is also home to some of the spectacular Mackay Silver Collection, created by Tiffany & Co., for John Mackay and completed in 1878.
For directions and museum details, visit unr.edu/keck.
Mineral Monday is produced by the College of Science. To receive Mineral Monday in your inbox each week, sign up here.
See you next Mineral Monday!
