Heritage with Related Tags
Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape
Located in the southwest of Honshu, Iwami Ginzan is a mountain surrounded by mountains rising to 600 meters above sea level and interspersed with deep river valleys, the mountains contain large mines, smelting and refining sites, and archaeological remains of mining settlements from the 16th to 17th centuries. and 20th centuries. The site also shows the routes used to transport silver ore to the coast, and from there to port towns in Korea and China. These mines contributed greatly to the overall economic development of Japan and Southeast Asia in the 16th and 17th centuries, when large-scale production of silver and gold began in Japan. The mining area is now densely forested. The site contains a fortress, a shrine, parts of the street transport route to the coast, and three port towns, Tomoura, Okidomari, and Yunotsu, from where the ore was shipped.
Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region
The Erzgebirge/Krushnohori (Ore Mountains) stretch across an area in southeastern Germany (Saxony) and northwestern Czechia, and contain a wide variety of metals that have been mined since the Middle Ages. The region became the most important source of silver ore in Europe between 1460 and 1560, and mining was the region's main industry. Mining was a trigger for the global transfer of technological and scientific innovations. Tin was the second metal mined and processed in the region's history. At the end of the 19th century, the region became a major global producer of uranium. 800 years of almost uninterrupted mining activity from the 12th to the 20th century deeply shaped the Erzgebirge cultural landscape, which includes mining, pioneering water management systems, innovative mineral processing and smelting sites, and mining cities.
Tarnowskie Góry Lead-Silver-Zinc Mine and its Underground Water Management System
Located in Upper Silesia in southern Poland, the mine is one of the major mining areas in Central Europe and includes an entire underground mine area, including drifts, shafts, galleries and other water management systems. Most of the mining area is underground, while the open-pit mining terrain preserves the remains of shafts and waste dumps, as well as the remains of a 19th century steam water pumping station. Elements of the water management system, both underground and on the surface, testify to three centuries of continuous efforts to drain the underground mining areas and use the poor water from the mines to supply towns and industries. Tarnowski Guri has made a significant contribution to global lead and zinc production.
Sado Gold Mine
The Sado Gold Mine complex is located on Sado Island, approximately 35 km west of the coast of Niigata Prefecture, and includes several sections that showcase different non-mechanized mining methods. Sado Island is a volcanic island with two parallel mountain ranges running from southwest to northeast, connected by the alluvial plain, the Kuninaka Plain. The gold and silver deposits on the island were formed when hydrothermal fluids rose to the surface to form veins, then sank to the seafloor due to tectonic movements and then rose to the surface again. The Nishi-Mi-Kawa area, northwest of the Kosado Mountains, was once a placer gold mining site, while in the Aikawa-Tsuruko area, at the southern end of the Osado Mountains, veins that were once mined underground have been exposed by the weathering of volcanic rocks. Most of the material heritage on the island that records mining activities, as well as social and labor organization, has been preserved as archaeological finds, both in terms of above-ground and underground remains and landscape features.
City of Potosí
In the 16th century, the area was considered the world's largest industrial complex. The mining of silver ore depended on a series of water-powered mills. The site includes the industrial monument of Cerro Rico, where water was supplied by a complex system of aqueducts and artificial lakes; the colonial town with the Casa de la Moneda; the Church of San Lorenzo; several noble houses; and the barrios mitayos, where the workers lived.
Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines
Guanajuato was founded by the Spanish in the early 16th century and became the world's leading silver mining centre in the 18th century. This history can be seen in its "underground streets" and "Boca del Inferno", a breathtaking mine shaft that reaches 600 meters deep. The town's exquisite Baroque and Neoclassical architecture grew out of the mining boom and influenced architecture throughout central Mexico. The churches of La Compañía and La Valenciana are considered among the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in Central and South America. Guanajuato has also been witness to events that changed the country's history.
Historic Centre of Zacatecas
Zacatecas was founded in 1546 following the discovery of rich silver mines and reached the height of its prosperity in the 16th and 17th centuries. Built on the steep slopes of a narrow valley, the town offers stunning views and many ancient buildings, both religious and civil. The cathedral, built between 1730 and 1760, dominates the center of town. It is famous for its harmonious design and rich Baroque façade, with both European and native decorative elements.
Kutná Hora: Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec
Kutná Hora developed as a result of silver mining. In the 14th century, it became a royal city with monuments that symbolize its prosperity. The Church of St. Barbara is a jewel of the late Gothic period, and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Sedlec has been restored in the early 18th century Baroque style, which influenced the architecture of Central Europe. These masterpieces now form part of a well-preserved medieval urban fabric, among which there are some particularly fine private residences.