Mining before powder : papers presented at the Georgius Agricola 500th Anniversary Conference held at Charlotte Mason College, Ambleside, Cumbria, on 25-27 March 1994

Georgius Agricola 500th Anniversary Conference, Trevor D. Ford, L. M. Willies, Peak District Mines Historical Society

ISBN 10: 0950625450 / ISBN 13: 9780950625454

Published by Peak District Mines Historical Society, Matlock Bath, 1994

About this Item

149 pages ; 30 cm. Series:
Special publication (Historical Metallurgy Society), v.12, no. 3 (Summer 1994)
Mining before powder: papers presented at the Georgius Agricola 500th Anniversary Conference is a prominent 1994 publication documenting ancient, medieval, and early-modern mining technologies used before the advent of gunpowder blasting.
The volume compiles research from a landmark academic meeting held at Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside, Cumbria, from 25?27 March 1994. The event was organized to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Georgius Agricola (1494?1555), the German scholar widely revered as the "father of mineralogy" and author of the seminal 1556 mining text De re metallica.Editors: Edited by the noted geologists and mining historians Trevor D. Ford and Lynn Willies.Publishers & Sponsoring Societies: Organised and issued jointly by the Peak District Mines Historical Society (PDMHS) and the Historical Metallurgy Society (HMS)
The papers explore historical mining techniques across Europe and the British Isles, focusing heavily on primitive engineering, manual excavation, and thermal rock-breaking. Notable papers and themes included in the volume feature: Firesetting Technology: Lynn Willies details the historical practice of thermal shock?using targeted wood fires quenched with water to crack stubborn rock faces before explosives existed.Early Field Excavations: Insights into pioneering archaeological digs at historic mining sites, such as the Bronze Age copper operations at Copa Hill (Cwmystwyth), Chinflon, and Kestel. Prehistoric Mining Landscapes: A survey of Neolithic flint and mineral mining landscapes, including sites like Cissbury in Sussex.Roman and Medieval Infrastructure: Analysis of Roman gold extraction at Dolaucothi alongside technological evolutions in early English silver-lead and copper production.

Seller Inventory # 19cb113

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Mining before powder : papers presented at the Georgius Agricola 500th Anniversary Conference held at Charlotte Mason College, Ambleside, Cumbria, on 25-27 March 1994
• Publisher: Peak District Mines Historical Society, Matlock Bath
• Publication Date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0950625450
• ISBN 13: 9780950625454
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Fine
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