Abstract

ALONSO, Ricardo N  and  EGENHOFF, Sven. Anton Z. Helms and his geological observations in 1789. Ser. correl. geol. [online]. 2008, n.24, pp.21-34. ISSN 1666-9479.

Anton Zacharias Helms (Hamburg, 1751- Vienna, 1803) formerly Director of the mines in Poland and late Director of the Mines in Peru, was a scientific traveler that arrived to South America in 1789. He was one of the 15 members of the Nordenflycht Mission to Potosi. During his trip to Potosi, Helms crossed Argentina from Buenos Aires to Jujuy making very important observations on the geology of the country. In 1798 he publish a book in Dresden with results of the expedition entitled: "Tagebusch einer Reise durch Peru, von Buenos Ayres an dem grossen Platastuffe, über Potosi nach Lima, der Haptstadt des Ronigreiches Peru. Dresden, Waltherrischen Losbuchhandlung, 300 p". The diary book contain a unique set of information among them the first geological observations made in northwestern Argentina and southern Bolivia known to date. He describe granite, limestone with fossil shells, and precious metal mines from the Cordoba hills; the large saline deposit of Salinas Grandes; the "primitive granite" (igneous origin) and alternate green and red granite in the Tucuman hills. At Salta, he mentioned blue shale's (today Puncoviscana Fm.) that is covered by red beds and limestone (Pirgua and Yacoraite Fm.). He writes "Strata of limestone, and large masses of ferruginous sandstone, are in many places superincumbent on the argillaceous slate". Also, he describes salt beds, coal (perhaps bituminous shale) and gypsum in the upper part of the mountains. During the journey from Eastern Cordillera to the Puna region he describe surprised the tectonic of the mountains, strongly folded and faulted, completely different to other mountains in Europe. He writes "In no place does a revolution of nature appear to have been so general as in South America". In the Helms book we find primitive references to igneous and sedimentary rocks, unconformities, alluvial placers, ore minerals and tectonic ideas. Therefore, Helms observations are the first made by a professional on geology and mineralogy, almost 100 years before Alfred Stelzner, today considered the "father" of Argentinean geology, started modern earth science studies.

Keywords : Anton Z. Helms; History of geology; History of mining; Nordenflycht Mission; Mining colonial travelers.

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