« 王权，城市与国家 | Main | Inscribed Landscape in 6th century China »
November 29, 2006
世界上最早的古矿采冶银遗址?
江西德兴惊现世界上最早的古矿采冶银遗址（11月23日）
2006-11-27
江西德兴市银山铅锌矿矿区的银山、九区和北山约有300余处古代开采银矿的窿洞遗址。这些窿洞有的是横坑，有的是竖井，深度达侵蚀基准面100米以下，更有甚者达数百米之深；有的窿洞只容一人进出，有的可容多人同时作业。近日，在德兴市银山铅锌矿矿区南山坞发现一老窿洞，被江西省考古研究所的专家初步分析认定为可追溯到唐代以前，极有可能是中国乃至世界上最早的古采冶银遗址。该窿洞横向洞口朝南，圆形，洞口直径约3米，深约100余米。在其不足100米处，发现大量炼银后的渣石和冶炼银遗址。该遗址的发现，对进一步研究、传承和弘扬祖国灿烂的古矿冶历史文化，都有着十分重要的现实意义和深远的历史意义。
据史料记载，德兴银山铅锌矿矿区是在隋朝大业年间（公元605年--616年）被张蒙发现，唐高宗总章二年（公元669年）州刺史、郡守窦俨奏立银冶，获准。唐宋时期采银极盛，断断续续开采达170余年，年产白银10万余两。仅北宋天禧五年（公元1021年），该矿区就产银高达88.3万余两。
文章出处：中国广播网
Laurion: The silver mines of Athens
Athens was the richest of the ancient Greek states but her wealth came partly from the silver mines from Laurion in her own backyard on the south-east tip of Attica. The temple at Laurion is a dramatic site for the passengers on the ferries running out to the Greek islands. However, behind the temples some 700 ancient mine shafts and 200 ore processing facilities have been discovered.
The famous mines produced an ore with a silver content of just 0.1% so an elaborate washing process was essential to refine the ore before smelting. Here we see a large water storage system, to the left, from which water will be channelled through to the small cleaning basin to the right.
Posted by limz at November 29, 2006 06:11 PM