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| Mineral techniques at Sainte-Marie-Aux-Mines during the Rennaissance Period |
by Frédéric LATASSE
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The mining district of Sainte-Marie-Aux-Mines is not only famous for its mineral diversity but also in large part for its mineral relics.
These depict almost one thousand years of history, from the 10th century right down to the first half of the 20th century, thus enabling us to paint a complete picture of every mineral technique used and their evolution down the centuries.
The 16th century was one of the most important periods in the history of mining at Sainte-Marie-Aux-Mines, both in terms of work undertaken and the technological excellence in the extraction of minerals.
Although some of the most spectacular and aesthetically pleasing elements of the local mining heritage are linked to the actual digging of the mines themselves, the painstaking examination of cave networks and the study of archives and iconographs by cave archaeologists has revealed a contemporary technological excellence that was unthinkable barely thirty years ago.
The relics found in the mines, often in excellent condition, paradoxically give us a comprehensive and yet imperfect understanding of the main problems encountered , such as the systematic laying of wagon tracks into the mines, the installation of timber supports in vertical shafts and ventilation through the use of false ceilings in order to combat mining's main enemy - water.
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Click on the picture for a larger image
Planche de la Rouge myne Saint-Nicolas de la Croix par H.Gross
Plusieurs niveaux de galeries sont reliés par des puits verticaux équipés d'échelles. Certaines parois sont boisées. On observe l'activité des tourneurs de treuil qui hissent les cuveaux de minerais vers la sortie |
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Digging the mines :
Digging by hand, namely using a hammer and wedge
SAINTE-MARIE-AUX-MINES
Outils de mineur trouvés lors des fouilles
Photo Wernert | is definitely one of the hallmarks of mining at Sainte-Marie-Aux-Mines. Almost 200km of network were hammered out in this way at a daily progress that ranged between a few centimetres and a few decimetres !
This technique, already in use in medieval times, was the sole method used until the turn of the 17th century when it started to be gradually replaced by the widespread use of gunpowder in the 18th century.
At first glance, the technique seems archaic : the miner would dig the mine with a crude hammer and wedge, however, analysis of this digging method shows that it is perfectly suitable for this kind of work.
The miner progresses very slowly certainly, but his work is methodical, controlled and immensely effective.
The cutting of the rock is perfected, as the miner only digs what is necessary and even where there is hardrock, the work is more like sculpture than simple digging. Furthermore, the most architecturally perfect examples are paradoxically found in this type of rock, with some considered to be works of art. The galleries are of a standard size - generally narrow (around 55cm wide) and high (between 1m 8cm and 2m 40cm) and have an ogival truncated section characteristic of the Germanic mining province's polymetallic mines during the Renaissance period.
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| Last update : 06.19.2007 |
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