Mining and metallurgy Roman Empire

landscape resulting ruina montium mining technique @ las médulas, spain, 1 of important gold mines in roman empire

the main mining regions of empire iberian peninsula (gold, silver, copper, tin, lead); gaul (gold, silver, iron); britain (mainly iron, lead, tin), danubian provinces (gold, iron); macedonia , thrace (gold, silver); , asia minor (gold, silver, iron, tin). intensive large-scale mining—of alluvial deposits, , means of open-cast mining , underground mining—took place reign of augustus 3rd century ad, when instability of empire disrupted production. gold mines of dacia, instance, no longer available roman exploitation after province surrendered in 271. mining seems have resumed extent during 4th century.

hydraulic mining, pliny referred ruina montium ( ruin of mountains ), allowed base , precious metals extracted on proto-industrial scale. total annual iron output estimated @ 82,500 tonnes. copper produced @ annual rate of 15,000 t, , lead @ 80,000 t, both production levels unmatched until industrial revolution; hispania alone had 40% share in world lead production. high lead output by-product of extensive silver mining reached 200 t per annum. @ peak around mid-2nd century ad, roman silver stock estimated @ 10,000 t, 5 ten times larger combined silver mass of medieval europe , caliphate around 800 ad. indication of scale of roman metal production, lead pollution in greenland ice sheet quadrupled on prehistoric levels during imperial era, , dropped again thereafter.