Archaeology of Mining

This paper brings together two approaches to the study of mining and quarrying in New Kingdom Egypt, and in particular the use of copper-based chisels for the cutting of rock faces. The first approach focuses on the investigation of chisels’ negatives, with two case studies (Dayr Abu Hinnis and Timna) that exemplify how detailed documentation of chisel marks may yield insights on exploitation techniques, as well as the broader organisation of mining operations. The second approach focuses on experimental archaeology, which here is presented by a preliminary report on experimental manufacturing and use of copper alloy mining tools. The experiments’ results provide a basis for discussing the specific teleology and production aspects of a New Kingdom mining chisel (specifically the one that has been used as a model for these trials), and the experience of using and maintaining such a tool on the copper-bearing sandstone of the ancient mining district of Timna. Preliminary observations concerning the use-wear of chisels (in relation to alloy selection, manufacturing and maintenance techniques), chisel-marks developed under different configurations and the functionality of associated tools are presented. These illustrate the many open questions concerning the use and maintenance of copper alloy tools in ancient Egyptian mines and quarries, and serve as a basis for further research.

The aim of the research program MineMet 2012-2015 financially supported by ANR (French National Agency for Research) is to study and characterise the economic implications of new mining districts on secondary deposits during the Antiquity. Our study is focused on two regions with Au placer deposits, one in Gaul to the Lemovices (Limousin and North Perigord) and another one in Hispania, to the Cerretanes in Cerdagne, and on tin placer deposit in Gaul to the Eduens in Morvan (Burgundy). We present here our results on gold from Cerdagne and tin from Morvan.

The project propose to identify and characterise new mining districts which are detectable in the landscape as topographical anomalies of the slopes and show similarities with certified Antique mining sites known from other locations. To accomplish the project’s purposes a new field research approach was initiated with the mapping of the supposed new mining districts and the detailed mapping of several excavated structures showing similarities with channels and water tanks, remnants of an ancient hydraulic network as well as exploitation sites. Their study involving archaeological diggings also allow identifying the dynamic of exploitation and uncovering hidden structures (channels, basins) and artifacts which together prove the presence of mining driven structures and offer clues for chronology. Metal provenance studies (geology, geochemistry/isotopes) are going on in parallel for the alluvial gold from Cerdagne and the colluvial cassiterite from Morvan. EIectrum/gold grains and cassiterite grains sampled in the vicinity of the studied mining structures will be compared with pre-Roman and Roman gold and bronze artifacts discovered in the same two regions.

The first research in Cerdagne started in 2008 in the valley of Segre between French and Catalan Cerdagne in a broad partnership between historians, archaeologists and geologists from Toulouse and Barcelona (Olesti et al., forthcoming). About 30 sites presenting deep erosional profiles and being strictly contoured on the slopes have been mapped. These negative anomalies in the landscape are very similar to the trench mining sites as are known in NW Spain or NW Romania for the alluvial gold mining during Antiquity.

These deep incisions were considered until now as traces of natural erosion along the slopes. However, several panning campaigns in Cerdagne on the Catalan side around the village of All, and on the French side NE of Sail/agouse confirmed the constant presence of electrum/gold grains in the alluvial deposits. In the frame of the MineMet program the collected electrum grains are currently prepared for geochemical and isotope analyses for traceability purposes.

Between 2010 and 2011 several diggings made in Las Guilleteres (All, Catalonia, Spain) revealed a sort of basin or water tank made of two superposed dams of stones situated on the slope upstream of deep trenches cut in alluvial deposits. The presence of common ceramic fragments found in the filling of the basin indicates an Antique occupation of the structure. It is possible to consider this structure as a water reserve for alluvial Au exploitation downstream but for the moment we did not identified any trace of channel connecting the basin with the exploitation sites. New diggings are necessary in Cerdagne to ultimately prove the surface exploitation of the alluvial gold.

South and east of Autun (Burgundy, France) BRGM discovered a significant tin anomaly (cassiterite) within secondary deposits (alluvial and arenitic deposits) developed on granite rocks. Furthermore, the forestry slopes from these areas are crosscut by a dense network of up to 4 m deep trenches which downstream pass into large cirques. These lowlands in the landscape were interpreted as surface mines in secondary deposits. These surface works were created by hydraulic mining of secondary cassiterite deposits. Upstream of cirques and trenches it is easily to follow a hydraulic network made of channels and several basins. The source of water is situated in the upper part of the hills, the so-called Montjeau domain, south ofAutun, where several lakes still exists.

Archaeological diggings were done in 2005 close to a trench exploitation for tin in the so-called La Montagne (Autun) site. A hidden channel was revealed firstly by geophysical prospection and it was afterwards confirmed during the diggings by the presence of iron hydroxides concentrated along the lowermost part of the channel. The diggings allowed us to discover two hidden channels going towards the exploitation site validating thus the hypothesis of placer mining. The ceramics discovered on the bottom of the channels date its abandon during 1st c. AD.

The trenches and cirques are located downstream of the hydraulic system (channels and basins) to which they are connected and altogether are found in a forested area and thus invisible for classical aerial investigations. The difficulty of the field covered by forests imposed the use of LIDAR technique which was finally made in the frame of MineMet ANR program. The LIDAR output obtained end 2013—early 2014 allow us to make a detailed mapping of the mining structures, i.e. channels, basins, exploitation sites until now completely hidden by the forests in the aerial views. The first results are outstanding and the field may be "read" perfectly as an unforested one.

The mining complex for tin located south of Autun comprises surface mining works covering about 300 hectares and partly active during Roman times (Cauuet and Tamas, 2009). Close to the water sources the LIDAR investigations revealed a big enclosed site situated in the vicinity of a bronze deposit from Bronze Age. Furthermore, just above the channels and exploitation sites the LIDAR results indicate two Prehistory enclosures (Bronze Age or more probably Iron Age). These dwellings associated to mining structures showing multiple crosscutting relationships which are currently identified indicate a long period of exploitation during several ancient ages. Presently, the inventory and the mapping of the mining vestiges is advancing on the basis of numerical data model generated by the acquisition of LIDAR mapping on 60 k centred on Autun.

The article is focused on the creation of a protocol for the analytical characterization of fire-setting in different types of rock. A set of experiments of heating and cooling have been carried out on different kind of rocks under various conditions and durations in order to record changes in the structures and composition of the samples. This study was set to support the solution of issues in the case of ambiguous identification between structures due to natural events in the rock and artificial exploitation.

Recent research has demonstrated that the Eocene Timrat formation in northeastern Israel, which appears as an extensive land “strip” west of and parallel to the Rift Valley, was a major source of prehistoric flint. This supposition is supported by three large‐scale extraction and reduction (E&R) complexes identified within this region, which offer direct evidence of intense Lower and Middle Palaeolithic exploitation and limited Neolithic/Chalcolithic activities. Here, we present a first comprehensive overview of this “industrial strip” and of its E&R complexes (Nahal Dishon, Mt. Achbara, and Sede Ilan), demonstrating that these production areas were used mainly for the manufacture of large‐volume items such as Lower Palaeolithic hand axes, Middle Palaeolithic Levallois cores, and Neolithic/ Chalcolithic axes/adzes. Furthermore, we integrate information from recently published field studies and lithic analyses with new intercomplex and intracomplex inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (inductively coupled plasma (ICP)‐MS) analyses of flint debitage. The relatively large number of analysed samples (n = 69) constitutes the first robust reference database for provenance studies of this E&R “strip.” The potential contribution for provenance studies is demonstrated by a detailed ICP‐MS comparison drawn between specific extraction and reduction localities within the Dishon complex and flint tools found in six occupation sites located up to 20 km from the sources. The detailed geochemical study also yielded methodological insights regarding challenges associated with flint heterogeneity and patination effects.

Der Unterharz, über Jahrtausende ein peripherer Raum, wird im Zuge des hochmittelalterlichen Landesausbaus Ort intensiver Besiedlungsbestrebungen. Regionale Adelsgeschlechter und andere Akteure ergreifen die Initiative, bauen Burgen, gründen Dörfer und erschließen Rohstoffquellen, die das Mittelgebirge bis heute prägen.
Auf Grundlage aktueller Forschungen wollen wir einen Überblick über die konstruierte mittelalterliche Kulturlandschaft im Unterharz geben und diese anhand von zwei Beispielen genauer betrachten. Zum einen Burg und Dorf Anhalt, wo die Gewinnung von Verarbeitung von Eisen, der Ausbau zur repräsentativen Höhenburg und das Wachstum des Dorfes deutliche Spuren in der Landschaft hinterlassen haben. Zum anderen die Wüstungen Baurod und Borghusen, zwei Siedlungen, deren Umgebung von intensiven Versuchen zeugt, die kargen Böden durch Reliefgestaltungen ertragreicher zu machen.

This poster presents the first results about tin mining vestiges detected on the archaeological site of Vale do Mouro, in Coriscada (N Portugal). This site is a roman villa (IInd-IVth c. AD) where a production of wine and olive oil has been identified. The mining remains are located nearby the villa and are composed by numerous opencast trenches, nowadays partially backfilled. One of the buildings in the villa revealed a significant fill of its base floor with quartz pieces, which were most likely waste heaps of the ore processing phase. Analyses showed the presence of cassiterite inclusions within the quartz. Less than 50 m away from this building is the nearest opencast trench, which was excavated in its upper part for this first study. The excavation showed that the trench was following a vein, and it was possible to identify tool marks on the granitic walls. The shape of the works and the techniques used for sinking are consistent with a roman exploitation. Likely, the other nearby backfilled mines could also be of this period.
The sources of antique tin are known in broad lines (European Occident) but precise elements about the mines which were actually exploited during Roman period are very scarce. The site of Vale do Mouro gives us an opportunity to bring data about tin procurement and about the way this production was integrated within the villa’s economy.

Geoarchaeological reconstructions of land-use changes may help to reveal driving cultural factors and incentives behind these processes and relate them to supra-regional economic and political developments.
This is particularly true in the context of complete abandonment of a settlement. Here we present a case study from the site of Faule Pfütze, a small catchment in the Eastern Ore Mountains (Saxony). The historical record of this site is confined to the report of a settlement called Hohenwalde in 1404 CE and two later references to the then-abandoned settlement in 1492 and 1524 CE in this area. Combined geoarchaeological studies allowed for the reconstruction of several phases of land use. While a first phase of alluvial sedimentation occurred during the late 12th century, archaeological evidence for a permanent settlement is absent during this period. The onset of settlement activity is identified during the late 14th century and included a hitherto unknown massive stone building. Mining features are present nearby and are dated to the early 15th century. The local palynological
record shows evidence for reforestation during the mid 15th century and thereby corroborates the time of abandonment indicated by written sources. These processes are discussed in the context of a local
political conflict (Dohna Feud) leading to the redistribution of properties and the development of a mining economy during this time. Later land use from the mid 16th century onwards appears restricted to charcoal production, probably in the context of smelting works operating in nearby Schmiedeberg as indicated by rising lead concentrations in the alluvial record.