Birth of mining and geology in the Urals

Abstract

Introduction. Since the 17th century, in national historiography there has been hardly any paper devoted to the development of mining technique. This paper considers technnological and organizational aspects related to prospecting and extraction of ore containing gold, silver, copper and iron. Research objective is to analyze the organization of geological prospecting and mining in the Urals in the 17th–early 18th centuries as compared with the technological development of mining and knowledge of local geology. Methods of research. The concept of diffusionism was used to work with concrete historical material. The concept involves the analysis of mining innovations development, borrowing and diffusion. Results. The features have been revealed that characterize the organization of prospecting and mining of ores containing precious metals, copper, and iron. Exploration companies with the participation of foreign specialists were organized to prospect for precious metals, and assay laboratories were used. Originally, copper ore was searched for the presence of gold. In Russia, the craft of mining was borrowed from the Saxons and began with the development of cupriferous sandstone on the river Kama in 1634. The first mine survey and water-driven ore mill are recorded here, and “mining sworn-men” are first mentioned. Depending on the depth and conditions of occurrence, copper ore was extracted by a crew by opencast method from cupriferous sandstones of the Kama region. Ores that contain copper and iron and are typical of the Middle Urals capping, become a serious problem for metallurgy and affected production location. It was the extraction of copper from polymetals that encouraged the organization of the mining by the Saxons, the introduction of a network of mine workings, ore mills, mine dewatering pumps, air supply pumps, and the use of gunpowder for drilling and blasting. Iron ore was extracted by opencast method due to its availability and economic calculations and did not affect the organization of mining