Las Médulas
Las Médulas (As Médulas or As Meduas in Galician language) is a historical site near the town of Ponferrada, Spain.[1] It used to be the most important gold mine in the Roman Empire. In order to remove the gold, the Romans washed away an entire mountain.[2] From the 2nd to the 4th century AD the Romans used slaves to mine about 900 tons of gold.[2] It left a series of rock pinnacles, gullies, caves and tunnels.[2] Las Médulas is listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.[3]
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Panoramic view of Las Médulas | |
| Location | Province of León, Castile and León, Spain |
| Includes |
|
| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) |
| Reference | 803 |
| Inscription | 1997 (21st Session) |
| Area | 2,208.2 ha (5,457 acres) |
| Coordinates | 42°28′9.8″N 6°46′14.7″W / 42.469389°N 6.770750°WCoordinates: 42°28′9.8″N 6°46′14.7″W / 42.469389°N 6.770750°W |
Las Médulas Media
General view of las Médulas from the viewpoint of Orellán.
Rock-cut aqueduct in La Cabrera
Ghost town "Orellán" at Las Médulas, 1st–2nd centuries AD)
- MedulasJMM
One of the passages of Las Médulas
Las Médulas in sunset
References
- ↑ Damien Simonis; et al., Spain (Footscray, Vic.; London: Lonely Planet, 2007), p. 221
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 James Maxwell Anderson, Spain, 1001 Sights: An Archaeological and Historical Guide (Calgary, Canada: University of Calgary Press; London: Robert Hale, 1991), p. 190
- ↑ Henry Cleere, 'The World Heritage Convention As a Medium for Promoting the Industrial Heritage', IA. The Journal of the Society for Industrial Architecture, Vol. 26, No. 2, 2000, p. 33
Further reading
- Lewis, P. R. and G. D. B. Jones, Roman gold-mining in north-west Spain, Journal of Roman Studies 60 (1970): 169-85
- Jones, R. F. J. and Bird, D. G., Roman gold-mining in north-west Spain, II: Workings on the Rio Duerna, Journal of Roman Studies 62 (1972): 59-74.
- Domergue, C. and Hérail, G., Conditions de gisement et exploitation antique à Las Médulas (León, Espagne) in L'or dans l'antiquité: de la mine à l'objet, B. Cauuet, ed., Aquitania Supplement, 9 (Bordeaux 1999): 93-116.
- Journeys Through European Landscapes/Voyages dans les Paysages Européens. COST-ESF, Ponferrada: 101-104.
Other websites
- Webpage of Fundación Las Médulas, with itineraries, virtual visit and practical information Archived 2006-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
- UNESCO official website
- Photo gallery and explanation of the explotaition system Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
- "Las Médulas, the Roman El Dorado". Archived 2009-02-01 at the Wayback Machine (in English) and (in Spanish) Article by the Leonese writer Julio Llamazares.
- Spanish site dedicated to Roman technology, especially aqueducts and mines Archived 2008-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
- Social Structure and Territory-Landscape Archaeology research group Archived 2009-05-14 at the Wayback Machine
- Action COST A27: Understanding pre-industrial rural and mining landscapes (LANDMARKS) European research project, a platform for scientific dissemination of Las Médulas Archived 2008-11-03 at the Wayback Machine