The presence in the area of modern Norilsk mining people were known in the Bronze Age: near Lake Pyasino found parking people of the Bronze Age, found where the primitive equipment for melting and casting, and materials (beads of native copper).
In the XVI-XVII century copper deposits of Norilsk residents Mangasee used. Mangazeya - city, located above the Arctic Circle on the river Taz, the status of this polar village was in 1603. Mangazeya was trade and craft center, during the excavations in 1972-1975 years Mangasee Professor MI Belov was discovered extensive casting yard. In stock copper products, found in Mangazeya attended by platinum, which indicates that the ore for smelting were brought from the Noril'sk deposits. Mangasee decline in the second half of XVII century is associated with the order of the government of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ban walk to Mangazeya by sea. This measure was due to government concerns over the integrity of the Siberian border, as the Northern Sea Route attracted Western European countries (England, Holland) as a possible way to India. The sea route to Mangazeya was closed on the Yamal portage was made strelets cordon. At the end of the XIX century merchant KM Sotnikov attempted to smelt copper from Norilsk ore, he was able to smelt about three tons of blister copper, after which he has built oven collapsed due to uneven rainfall permafrost.
