SO WHAT DID THE ROMANS EVER DO FOR US . . .
So alright, apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, fresh water systems and public health . . . they took all our gold.
In the 1st century A.D. the Roman Imperial authorities began to exploit the gold deposits of this region in north-west Spain. After two centuries of working the deposits, the Romans withdrew, leaving a devastated landscape. The dramatic traces of this remarkable ancient technology are visible everywhere as sheer faces in the mountainsides and the vast areas of tailings are now used as farm land.
Ruina montium, a Roman mining technique described by Pliny the Elder in 77 AD, was a type of hydraulic mining which involved undermining a mountain with large quantities of water. The water was supplied by inter-basin transfer (canal or aqueducto!). At least seven long aqueducts tapped the streams of the La Cabrera district (where the rainfall in the mountains is relatively high) at a range of altitudes. The same aqueducts were used to wash the extensive gold deposits.
Pliny stated that 20,000 Roman pounds of gold were extracted each year. The exploitation, involving 60,000 free workers, brought 5,000,000 Roman pounds (1,650,000 kg) in 250 years.
Is that a lot of gold - maybe not . . . 80% of all the gold ever known has been mined in the last 200 years.
In the 1st century A.D. the Roman Imperial authorities began to exploit the gold deposits of this region in north-west Spain. After two centuries of working the deposits, the Romans withdrew, leaving a devastated landscape. The dramatic traces of this remarkable ancient technology are visible everywhere as sheer faces in the mountainsides and the vast areas of tailings are now used as farm land.
Ruina montium, a Roman mining technique described by Pliny the Elder in 77 AD, was a type of hydraulic mining which involved undermining a mountain with large quantities of water. The water was supplied by inter-basin transfer (canal or aqueducto!). At least seven long aqueducts tapped the streams of the La Cabrera district (where the rainfall in the mountains is relatively high) at a range of altitudes. The same aqueducts were used to wash the extensive gold deposits.
Pliny stated that 20,000 Roman pounds of gold were extracted each year. The exploitation, involving 60,000 free workers, brought 5,000,000 Roman pounds (1,650,000 kg) in 250 years.
Is that a lot of gold - maybe not . . . 80% of all the gold ever known has been mined in the last 200 years.
How to RUINA MONTIUM -"wrecking of mountains"
1. Set serfs, slaves or similar at work to dig holes into shafts, into tunnels.
2. Apply much cleverness to bring much water from distant places across mountains
3. Pour water into shafts - hopefully removing remaining serfs first.
4. Force of the water filling the shafts compresses the air and causes explosions at the end of the tunnels
5. Mountain wrecked - use water supply to wash out the gold.
6. Easy - Peasy once you know how.
1. Set serfs, slaves or similar at work to dig holes into shafts, into tunnels.
2. Apply much cleverness to bring much water from distant places across mountains
3. Pour water into shafts - hopefully removing remaining serfs first.
4. Force of the water filling the shafts compresses the air and causes explosions at the end of the tunnels
5. Mountain wrecked - use water supply to wash out the gold.
6. Easy - Peasy once you know how.
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