Medieval Mining Centre of Buchberg in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. Metal Production in the Kingdom of Bohemia (13th–14th Centuries)

The study presents the results of a wide range of research approaches and surveys of the defunct mining centre at Buchberg in the region of Havlíčkův Brod, which was involved in silver production in the 13th and 14th centuries. Burchberg is exceptional in its size and well-advanced community infrastructure. Its significance is also reflected in written sources. Surveys and trial diggings focused on the residential area, and especially on the adjoining metallurgical facilities providing unique spatial information, as well as a wealth of valuable data obtained by analysing archaeometallurgical materials, representing the links in the operational chain, staring with the raw ore extraction and ending with the final production of the desired metals. The current deforestation of mining field relics enabled their three-dimensional survey, and, thus, providing a hitherto unknown view of the spatial structure of historical mining activities.

The Miedzianka Mountain Ore Deposit (Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Poland) as a Site of Historical Mining and Geological Heritage: A Case Study of the Teresa Adit

There are numerous traces of mining activity in the Miedzianka Mountain (Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Poland), because copper and silver ores have been mined in this region since at least the 13th century. The history of scientific research on the Miedzianka Mountain ore deposit spans almost 200 years. Almost 40 minerals have been found: ore minerals of Cu and Fe, and also secondary minerals, including carbonates, sulphates and even very rare arsenates, phosphates and vanadates. Three new minerals have been found, staszicite, lubeckite and miedziankite, but their chemical composition has not been precisely determined and therefore their names have not been approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). The Miedzianka Mountain deposit is an important area on the map of educational activities. It is included in the “Świętokrzyskie Archaeological and Geological Trail” as a site of historical (mining and metallurgy) and natural (geological sciences) heritage. Despite the large potential, none of the underground workings (adits and shafts) are currently available to the public. Our research and exploration of the Teresa adit, which is one of the historical underground complexes of the Miedzianka Mountain, show that this adit displays a wide spectrum of topics in the field of mineralogy, geology and mining history. The Teresa adit, which is a 523 m system of underground corridors, contains 270 m of natural karst caves altered by mining works and is constituted of Upper Devonian limestones, locally cut by cherry shales. In several sites of the adit unique features can be observed, such as: (1) old mining works—galleries carved in the rock back in the 19th century; (2) interesting vein mineralization with secondary-colored copper carbonates and multi-colored calcite veins; (3) mineralization with azurite domination; and (4) karst phenomena (coatings, flowstone, dripstones and stalactites) in a cave part of the adit. The sites with unique features suggest that the Teresa adit is highly suitable to be presented to tourists. That is why we propose seven sites on the underground route that could be the basis for further projects to create a “geotouristic trail” in the Teresa adit. The proposal to make the Teresa adit available to tourists is in line with the tendency to protect the post-industrial landscape associated with former mining activities.

SPATIAL 3D DOCUMENTATION OF HISTORICAL MINING REMNANTS IN FORESTED AREA IN THE ERZGEBIRGE/KRUŠNOHOŘÍ MINING REGION UNESCO SITE

This contribution deals in the possibilities of 3D documentation of historical mining relicts hidden in the forest. On the Czech – German border, in the Ore Mountains, several historical mining relicts are located there. There are interesting underground spaces (historical mines), some of which have recently been made available for visits by tourists. But there are many relicts on the surface that are linked to mining and are not known or on the fringes of interest. These are mining pits, dumps, water works, remains of buildings and historic entrance roads. Many of them are in forest areas, were not documented or archaeologically explored, and have recently been devastated by amateur collectors equipped with metal detectors who unfortunately destroy unexplored localities to find interesting relicts. For the basic documentation and delimitation of these objects, aerial laser scanning (ALS) and personal laser mobile scanning (PLS) were used; some finds were documented by close-range photogrammetry.

Accumulation of As and Pb in Vegetables Grown in Agricultural Soils Contaminated by Historical Mining in Zacatecas, Mexico

Historical mining activities are a source of environmental pollution that affects the food chain and the health of human beings. The aim of this study was assessment the accumulation of arsenic and lead in vegetables grown in agricultural soils contaminated by old mining in Zacatecas, Mexico. The concentration of arsenic and lead in agricultural soil and edible parts of carrot, garlic, and pepper was analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The soil-vegetable bioconcentration factor and pollution load index were determined. The pH values of the farmland were alkaline. The concentration of arsenic in agricultural soil exceeds the permissible limit for arsenic of Mexican standards and international representing health risks. The lead content in most soil samples they were low. The arsenic and lead content in edible parts of species vegetable exceeded the national standard from various countries and the values established by the Codex Alimentarius (FAO-WHO). The highest arsenic concentration was found both in Capsicum annum and Allium sativum. The highest concentration of Pb was in pepper fruits. Among vegetable the high BCF value was for arsenic, ranging from 2.33 to 0.64, and the average for all vegetable samples was 1.01. The pollution index indicates that arsenic is the dominant pollutant accumulated in soil and vegetables grown in agricultural soils. According to the findings, the state and national agricultural and health authorities should not recommend the cultivation of vegetables in agricultural soil located in this area of historical mining activities. Likewise, preventive measures must be taken on the consumption of contaminated vegetables and certifying their safety.

Epithermal Precious Metal Deposits in South Korea—History and Pursuit

The gold and silver endowment of Korea has historically been well known, with records alluding to production as far back as 1122 BC. The main gold production period was from 1925 to 1943 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, with more than 1 Moz recorded in 1939. Muguk was the most productive gold mining operation, located within the central region of South Korea, with a recorded 590 koz of gold produced from 1934 to 1998 (first mined in AD 912). The majority of the historical mining operations were closed by government order in 1943 during the Second World War and never reopened. A number of small mines operated between 1971 and 1998, with limited production during a period of gold prices generally lower than at present (~25–50% of current inflation adjusted prices, apart from a four-year period 1979–83). It is likely that significant resources remain within these historical mining areas. Gold-silver deposit types historically recognized and exploited in Korea include placers and orogenic and intrusion-related vein systems. Only more recently have epithermal vein and breccia systems been recognized. This is not surprising, given that the geologic and tectonic setting of the Southern Korean peninsula is prospective for epithermal precious metal deposits, spatially associated with basin-scale brittle fault systems in Cretaceous volcanic terranes. South Korea is an underexplored jurisdiction, with limited modern exploration and drilling until the mid-1990s, when Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. discovered the Gasado, Eunsan, and Moisan epithermal gold-silver deposits, all of which became mines. Exploration was limited for another 20 years until Southern Gold Ltd., an Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed company, commenced regional-scale exploration for epithermal deposits, using a strategy similar to that successfully employed by Ivanhoe.