How did mining work back in the day? Did people just picaxe long tunnels into the rock hoping they’ll find something useful?
In: Technology
Historically, prospecting involved thoroughly searching a wide area looking for mineral deposits on the surface. The best places to look were creeklines or ridges/hills, and any mineral deposits signified that there was likely more beneath the surface.
The Romans used aquaducts for hydrolic mining, where they’d basically use a ton of water to wash away the soil to expose the rock and any veins of metal.
The first mines were largely for stone, and required less precise methods to locate good areas to mine.
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