Anthropic Vulnerability of a Hydrothermal Mineral Deposit and Related Mining Heritage, a Case Study from a Medieval Gold-Silver Mining Area, Telkibánya, Hungary

Abstract

The movable geoheritage elements (minerals, fossils, rocks) are important part of geodiversity. Their anthropic vulnerability includes collection by geo-amateurs and professionals which has become a very popular activity in the last decades. The in situ protection of such geoheritage elements preserves their authenticity and integrity, but needs detailed inventory and assessment providing recommendation for geoconservation. The aim of this study is to investigate a medieval mining site of the Carpathians (Telkibánya, Hungary) where recent anthropic vulnerability related to mineral collecting. Earlier works emphasized the scientific, aesthetic, and geo-educational potential of the mineral association and mining heritage of the study area. Our field survey gives a review of medieval mining works and the current state of the surviving infrastructure identifies the major areas of mineral collecting disturbances and the integrity of the main and additional geological elements. Based on the degradation risk assessment, further conservation management initiatives are proposed by open collecting outcrops (exposure sites) and declared protection with controlled collecting (finite sites).