The massive experience of firesetting and heat treatment found throughout the prewoodland cultures of North America did not culminate in a pyrometallurgy. The abundant and readily accessible supply of native copper provides a possible explanation for this phenomenon. Several native copper specimens were subjected to cold working and annealing processes using tools similar to those available to the North American Indians. These specimens were then evaluated with various analyses and compared with artifacts excavated from two burial mounds in the southeastern US. Provenance of the copper ore of the artifacts could not be identified, but they were essentially pure copper. The annealing technique of the original artisans indicates a high level of sophistication in the control of the materials. Melting and casting of metals reflects a European influence, a technique showing up in the latter part of the 17th century. -- AATA