Sulphur Mining on Mexico's Popocatépetl Volcano (1820-1920): Origins, Development, and Human-Environmental Challenges.

This paper traces the origins and development of a little-known extractive industry in nineteenth-century Mexico: volcanic sulphur mining. Unpublished documents from Mexican archives, nineteenth-century travel literature, reports from early scientific expeditions, and historical newspapers provide the bulk of data. Documents show how both Mexican and United States interests -- indigenous sulphur miners (azufreros) and venture capitalists -- confronted the challenges of mining sulphur from the crater of Mexico's Popoeatépetl volcano, at 5,426 meters (17,802 feet) elevation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]