Mining history, earliest on record |
Mining history, earliest on record |
Feb 12 2008, 09:49 AM
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Master Mucker! Group: Admin Posts: 4,149 Joined: 7-October 03 From: Colorado Member No.: 3 |
Here are some interesting tid bits we thought everyone would enjoy reading.
The earliest mine in archeological record has been dated around 4100 BC! WOW!! Quoting from Wikipedia.......... QUOTE The oldest known mine on archaeological record is the "Lion Cave" in Swaziland. At this site, which by radiocarbon dating the mine dates around 4,100 BC, paleolithic humans mined mineral hematite, which contained iron and was ground to produce the red pigment ochre. Mines of a similar age in Hungary and are believed to be sites where Neanderthals may have mined flint for weapons and tools. Ancient Egyptians mined malachite at Maadi. At first, Egyptians used the bright green malachite stones for ornamentations and pottery. Later, between 2,613 and 2,494 BC, large building projects required expeditions abroad to the area of Wadi Maghara in order "to secure minerals and other resources not available in Egypt itself." Quarries for turqoise and copper were also found at "Wadi Hamamat, Tura, Aswan and various other Nubian sites" on the Sinai Peninsula and at Timna. In Europe......... QUOTE The Celts, who were native to Britain, had mined minerals for centuries, but when the Romans came, the scale of the operations changed dramatically. The Romans needed what Britain had: especially the gold, silver, and lead. Britain's gold mines were located in Wales at Dolgellau and Dolaucothi. Romans discovered the Dolaucothi vein soon after their invasion, and a settlement was soon set up in the Cothi Valley. The mine produced Welsh gold. There were many iron mines in Roman Britain. The index to the Ordnance Survey Map of Roman Britain lists 33 iron mines: 67% of these are in the Weald and 15% in the Forest of Dean. The majority of mine workers were slaves. The work conditions were terrible, and up to 12% of miners died every year. Black powder was first used in mining in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia in 1627. In 1762, the world's first mining academy was established in the same town. And in North America........ QUOTE In North America there are ancient, prehistoric copper mines along Lake Superior that formed from volcanic activity 1280 million years ago. "Indians availed themselves of this copper starting at least 5000 years ago," and copper tools, arrowheads, and other artifacts that were part of an extensive native trade network have been discovered. In addition, obsidian, flint, and other minerals were mined, worked, and traded. While the early French explorers that encountered the sites made no use of the metals due to the difficulties in transporting it, the copper was eventually traded throughout the continent along major river routes. In Manitoba, Canada, there also are ancient quartz mines near Waddy Lake and surrounding regions. In the early colonial history of the Americas, "native gold and silver was quickly expropriated and sent back to Spain in fleets of gold- and silver-laden galleons." Turquoise dated at 700 A.D. was mined in pre-Columbian America. In the Cerillos Mining District in New Mexico, estimates are that "about 15,000 tons of rock had been removed from Mt Chalchihuitl using stone tools before 1700." Mining in the United States became prevalent in the 19th century. As with the California Gold Rush in the mid 1800s, mining for minerals and precious metals alongside ranching and exploration for oil and gas fields was very important in the Westward Expansion to the Pacific coast. With the exploration of the West, mining camps were established and "expressed a distinctive spirit, an enduring legacy to the new nation;" Gold Rushers would experience the same problems as the Land Rushers of the transient West that preceded them. Aided by railroads, many traveled West for work opportunities in mining. Western cities such as Denver and Sacramento originated as mining towns. Another odd tid bit..........If ya' had to go in the mines...where would ya'?! Well......here is your answer! Maybe this is where the term "porta-pottie" started? For more info to read click over to the Wikipedia-Mining page. CP -------------------- CP-Owner/Administrator
www.ColoradoProspector.com IF YOU USE IT, THE GROUND PRODUCED IT! MINERS MAKE "IT" HAPPEN!! |
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Feb 14 2008, 08:05 AM
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Master Mucker! Group: Admin Posts: 7,186 Joined: 7-October 03 From: Colorado Member No.: 4 |
Fantastic information Dan! Amazing knowing how far back mining goes.
Just one question CP.............. Wheres the TP? -------------------- Education is the key to the future,
and participation opens the door to opportunity. Discover your prospecting independence & success! ColoradoProspector.com Owner/Webmaster Core team member ♥ |
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