Roman Gold Research Articles

Assessing tourism impact on cultural landscapes using mobile phone data: the case of Las Médulas (Spain).

Cultural landscapes often pose problems for planning and management because of insufficient information regarding visitor movements, interests and infrastructure burden. Traditionally visitor surveys have helped to fill this gap, albeit limited to their incomplete and occasional nature. This paper presents a methodology for using cellular antenna metadata for understanding tourism flows. This information is collected systematically by the mobile phone network but only recently has its big data potential begun to be exploited for understanding socio-economic phenomena. The present case study of the Roman gold mine of Las Médulas (León, Spain) provides a model for tourism impact analysis using anonymized data from cell phone towers.

Water Reservoirs in North-Western Hispania Roman Gold Mining: Technology, Chronology and Paleoenvironmental Evolution

ABSTRACT Water reservoirs located on the mining fronts were essential for the operation of Roman gold mining. They served purposes such as the extraction and washing of gold deposits, and the final disposal of waste. The history of a Roman gold mine is intricately linked to its hydraulic network. Therefore, dating the construction, usage, and abandonment layers of water reservoirs enables us to comprehend the evolution of mining operations. In this paper, we present a methodological approach consisting of the opening of archaeological sondages in the water reservoirs to understand their stratigraphy and operating phases, together with sampling to obtain chronological and pollen information. We present the work carried out in four case studies located in various mining areas in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Results indicate that water reservoirs serve as paleoenvironmental archives, facilitating the chronological unravelling of mining operations and the landscape reconstruction from the period immediately preceding the onset of mining operations to their abandonment. Results also have highlighting some of the challenges when interpreting radiocarbon results. We conclude that the archaeological analysis of hydraulic mining infrastructure is an effective methodology for understanding the evolution of mining landscapes.

A multiapproach for solving geoarchaeological problems: inferences from Roman gold mining in the Eria Valley (León)

The Eria River valley exhibits one of the largest gold mining complexes in NW Iberia from Roman age. In this study, a geoarchaeological work is presented, combining a multiapproach based on airborne LiDAR remote sensing, descriptive geology and radiocarbon dating. The studied area is characterized by the presence of a mining infrastructure comprised of hydraulic canals driving the water at different levels to the mines. Mining works were associated with Plio Quaternary raña deposits and Quaternary materials consisting of hillside and periglacial deposits, and fluvial terraces. The washing of the gold deposits used the hydraulic force to break up and drag out the sediment, giving rise to three different types of exploitation depending on the characteristics of the different materials. The results shed light on the geological materials exploited and other geographical aspects that conditioned the exploitation techniques. The work contributes to improving the knowledge about Roman gold mining and its geological context in northwest Iberia.

The Gralheira lode in the territorium metallorum Tresminas/Jales. A "treasure trove" of ancient mining technology

The little-known Roman gold mining site "Gralheira" is located near the well-explored mine of Tresminas. The 2.5 km long, almost dead straight archaeological monument from the first and second centuries AD is currently under threat from possible mining activities on the one hand and from modern waste disposal in the pits on the other. Since 2019, the Roman mining traces have been investigated by means of intensive field inspections, terrestrial 3d laser scanning and aerial photography. The following article will present first impressions and findings on this structure, as well as questions and preliminary interpretations.

A Solidus of Valentinian III Found near the Village of Roŭnaje Pole in Belarus: An Unusual Find from the Belarusian-Lithuanian Borderland / Solid Walentyniana III znaleziony w pobliżu wsi Roŭnaje Pole na Białorusi – niezwyczajne znalezisko z białorusko-litewskiego pogranicza

Finds of Roman gold coins of the 5th –6th centuries AD are virtually unknown from the areas occupied by the Baltic tribes during the Migration Period. Recently, information has been obtained about a solidus of Valentinian III, minted in AD 440–455 in Rome, found within the range of the East Lithuanian Barrow culture, in the vicinity of the present-day village of Roŭnaje Pole (Ašmiany Raion, Hrodna Voblast’ in the Republic of Belarus). The coin probably arrived in the right-bank part of the Neman River basin from one of the areas with a large number of finds of 5th -century solidi, i.e. from the southern coast of the Baltic Sea or from the Carpathian Basin.

Negative muons reveal the economic chaos of Rome’s AD 68/9 Civil Wars

During the AD 68/9 Civil Wars, Galba, Otho, Vitellius and then Vespasian fought for — and gained — control of the Roman Empire. Our textual sources suggest that this was a period of serious and sustained disruption. However, existing analyses of gold coinages produced in AD 68/9 show only a minor reduction in the purity of the gold coinage. Using X-ray fluorescence, we identify a number of heavily debased gold coins issued during the AD 68/9 Civil Wars, and many slightly debased coins issued in their immediate aftermath. We then confirm the interior composition of these coins totally non-destructively using muonic X-ray emission spectroscopy, thus eliminating hypothetical problems of ‘surface enrichment’ or compositional differences between ‘surface’ and ‘core’. Here we show that heavily debased Civil War gold coinages were indeed produced; that copper was used to debase Roman gold coins during this time, c. 185 years earlier than first shown; and that slightly debased gold coins were regularly issued in the years immediately after the Civil Wars. The metallurgical evidence from the gold coinage now allows us to show that the AD 68/9 Civil Wars caused significant and sustained disruption to the Roman economic system. More broadly, we have shown that muonic X-ray emission spectroscopy is a powerful tool for generating important archaeological conclusions from high-value cultural heritage objects that simply cannot be destructively analysed, but need to have their interior compositions sampled.

LiDAR Datasets Applied to Roman Gold Mining Studies in NW Iberia. Response to Paper: Roman Gold Mining at \u201cLas Mi\xe9dolas\u201d (NW Spain): Lidar and Photo Interpretation in the Analysis of \u201cPeines\u201d

Early LiDAR datasets in Spain are available since 2014 (5-m resolution), when the first works were carried out by our team (Fernández-Lozano and Gutiérrez-Alonso Mapping 167:22–29, 2014; Fernández-Lozano et al. J Archaeol Sci 2014:356–373, 2015). The implementation of LiDAR to 1-m resolution was subsequently used and compared by Fernández-Lozano and Gutiérrez-Alonso (J Archaeol Sci 5:509–520, 2016) in combination with UAV-derived (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) photogrammetry. These works showed different Roman gold mining scenarios that were modeled providing outstanding results even with the poorest resolution LiDAR datasets. Moreover, the implementation of visual enhancement tools, widely used in different fields of archeology, geomorphology, and geology, such as Sky-View, Multi-hillside, Slope, LRM, Openness, and Principal Components have improved notably the interpretation of results in both mining and archeological works. This paper discusses the potential and insights provided by our methodological approach and shows that the results of its application to the study area of Las Miédolas can provide better results than those obtained by Matías and Llamas (Geoheritage 13(2):1–22, 2021).

Hadis tentang Uang: Analisis Syarah terhadap Nilai Uang dalam Perspektif Ekonomi Islam

This study aims to discuss the understanding of hadith about the value of money in the perspective of Islamic economics. This research applies a qualitative type through literature study using thematic, takhrij, and syarah hadith methods as well as descriptive analysis. The discussion of this research includes an overview of money, thematic hadiths regarding money, and an understanding of the hadith about the value of money from an Islamic economic perspective in the contemporary era. This study concludes that the money used by Muslims at the time of the Prophet was Persian silver dirhams and Roman gold dinars, traditions about money are known to be maqbul traditions and can be used as evidence, and the understanding of hadiths about the value of money is closely related to buying and selling and selling. an effective prohibition of usury for controlling inflation so that people's purchasing power is maintained and economic stability is created, in this case Islamic economics which emphasizes increasing people's welfare is recognized in this contemporary era dealing with money politics with the ideology of capitalism.

Convolutional Neural Networks from Uav-Derived Images for Accurate Identification of Mining Remains. The Case Study of Roman Gold Mining in Nw Iberia

Convolutional Neural Networks from Uav-Derived Images for Accurate Identification of Mining Remains. The Case Study of Roman Gold Mining in Nw Iberia

LATE ROMAN COIN FINDS IN UKRAINE: HISTORY OF RESEARCH

Analyzing the published researches by previous researchers of new finds of coins of the different periods we were determining as one of the actual directions of research in the medieval numismatics in Ukraine. Examining the scientific achievements of the Ukrainian numismatists, we have determined a significant gap in the focus of research on the findings of coins of the Western Roman Empire and the territory of Ukraine, in particular, the sporadic conclusions are also published by researchers analyzing the existence of Roman coins in this period. The aim of the study. The main purpose of the article is to discover the historiography of the study of the findings of coins of the Western Roman Empire in the period of the IV – the beginning of the V cent. in Ukrainian historiography. Research methodology. In the process of scientific research of the topic the general scientific methods were used: analytical, chronological, and topographic, as well as special methods: critical, metrological and iconographic. The scientific novelty is that for the first time conclusions of scientific current development of the topography of finds of late Roman coins on the territory of Ukraine were introduced into scientific circulation, some observations on the introduction of these finds into scientific circulation were given.
 The Conclusions. Most of the finds introduced by numismatists into scientific circulation belong to those found in the nineteenth century, about only part of which are preserved information about their transfer to museum collections. Subsequently, almost the same published finds were re-introduced into scientific circulation, republished in various topographies of finds, somewhat supplemented by new discoveries of coins of the Western Roman Empire. It should also be noted that in most cases the descriptions of the finds contain sufficiently abbreviated and concise information, there are no descriptions of coins, an indication of their varieties, mostly the issuer is indicated, the denomination, less often – the legend is transmitted. It is an unfortunate fact that severely damaged coins are found, the identification of which becomes possible only approximately, and in the topographies of such messages processed by the authors a rather significant number.
 The most famous treasures and finds of coins, which have been published by a number of authors and mentioned in numerous popular science publications, are the treasure from the village of Laski, the dubious treasure of Roman coins from historical Obolon, the find in the Uspensky and Vydubichi Cathedrals – information about which compilations and all compiled archaeological maps of numismatists during the twentieth century – thus becoming a classic treasures.
 In modern Ukrainian the numismatics and scientists publishing the findings discovered during the official archaeological professional searches, as well as unauthorized amateur and accidental finds. At the present stage of studying this issue, it is necessary to compile a complete topographic map of the findings of Roman coins of IV-V centuries with their analysis to obtain conclusions on the distribution and existence of these coins in Ukraine. 
 Finds of the Roman gold coins always attract a special and more attention, so there are several separate examples of similar finds in Ukraine, published by scientists. The finds of Roman gold medallions deserve special attention, because each of them is extremely rare. Information on individual numismatic finds in the process of official archaeological exploration with available coins of the Western Roman Empire was published by archaeologists. In ancient times, it was common to use coins as jewelry – giving them a «second life». In the outlined chronological period, the coin finds also differed in a significant number of silver and gold coins with available soldered ears – turned into pendants, neck ornaments. 
 As the prospects of further research we see we see the introduction into scientific circulation and processing of new finds of Roman coins of this period in Ukraine to display the highest quality and complete topographic map.

Understanding Roman Gold Coinage Inside Out

The true purity of Roman silver coinage was hidden by enriching the surfaces of the coins. The question investigated here is whether Roman gold coins were also surfaced enriched. Two non-destructive techniques were employed to do this: X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and a ‘newer’ technique, muonic X-ray emission spectroscopy (μXES). For the latter, the momentum of the muons is controlled, allowing for the composition of the coin to be determined at various depths. Here we show that there is no surface enrichment of the Roman gold coins analysed. Furthermore, we show that XRF and μXES return congruent results at the near surface. This all supports the integrity of surface level analyses of Roman gold coins. We then discuss the broader applicability of our muon technique to the further study of Roman gold coinage, to the cultural heritage sector and to archaeological scientists more generally.

Tracing Dacian gold in Roman aurei

Here the LA-ICP-MS results from 66 Roman gold coins (aurei) issued between AD 101 and AD 196 are presented. Aurei issued between AD 129 and AD 165 seemed to have been made from an antimony- and tellurium-rich gold. The Roman gold mines at Roșia Montană in Dacia, modern day Romania, produce antimony- and tellurium-rich gold, and we have precisely dated documentary evidence that suggests intensive mining activity occurred here from at least AD 131 until AD 167. The intensity of the proposed antimony- and tellurium-rich Roșia Montană ‘fingerprint’ in Roman gold coinage almost perfectly matches the chronological window of intensive exploitation of the Roșia Montană gold source. As such, gold from Dacia appears to have been one of the most dominant sources for the Roman supply network in the mid-second century, and the strategic importance of the province at this time should not be underestimated.

Regulated Roman Coins and Their Imitations from India: Did Roman Coins Circulate as Money in the Subcontinent?

This paper focuses on a relatively unknown group of published and unpublished Roman gold coins and their imitations from India with a large gold plug placed behind the head of an emperor. This phenomenon was briefly discussed by Peter Berghaus, who rightly noticed that the size of the filling on those coins suggests that the purpose for placing such material into the hole was different than simply the repair of a piercing made previously for a piece of jewellery. He considers the possibility that the holes were made in order to check whether those coins were plated or not and were later refilled with gold so that the coins could return to the money market. I would like to present a different explanation of this phenomenon. I would argue that those coins were perforated and plugged in order to adjust their weight. Such an adjustment let them be used as money in the Subcontinent. Similar phenomena from various parts of the world and time periods constitute the key to understand the purpose of plugging those coins and those analogies are examined in this paper as well.

Roman Gold Mining at “Las Miédolas” (NW Spain): Lidar and Photo Interpretation in the Analysis of “Peines” System

The application of analysis techniques such as DTM-LIDAR and the photo interpretation in the Roman gold mine study ‘Las Miedolas’ has allowed a precise comprehension of its hydraulic supply network, which amounts to 80-km channels. Also, mining works evolution, and it assessed auriferous ore deposit volume. Topographic precision that provides DTM-LIDAR to describe structures in detail, allowing to reasonably define critical parameters of development in this important mine. The Romans used several exploitation techniques in this mine, where they used the “peines” system in the final phase of this Roman mine.

Unraveling the Morphological Constraints on Roman Gold Mining Hydraulic Infrastructure in NW Spain. A UAV-Derived Photogrammetric and Multispectral Approach

The province of León preserves a unique hydraulic infrastructure 1200 km-long, used for the exploitation of auriferous deposits in Roman times. It represents the most extensive waterworks in Europe and is one of the best-preserved examples of mining heritage in Antiquity. In this work, three mining exploitation sectors (upper, middle, and lower) characterized by channels and leats developed in different geological materials were examined, using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). A multi-approach based on a comparison of photogrammetric and multispectral data improved the identification and description of the hydraulic network. Comparison with traditional orthoimages and LiDAR data suggests that UAV-derived multispectral images are of great interest in areas where these sets of data have low resolution or areas that are densely covered by vegetation. The results showed that the size of the channel box and its width were factors that do not depend exclusively on the available water resources, as previously suggested, but also on the geological and hydraulic conditioning factors that intervene in each sector. Additionally, the detailed study allowed the establishment of a water sheet maximum height that was much lower than previously thought. All in all, these inferences might help researchers develop new strategies for mapping the Roman mining infrastructure and establishing the importance of geological inheritance on the construction of the hydraulic system that led the Romans to the accomplishment of the largest mining infrastructure ever known in Europe.

The Gothic invasions of the mid-3rd c. A.D. and the Battle of Abritus: coins and archaeology in east-central Barbaricum

In the Numismatic Chronicle for 2013, A. Bursche put forward the proposition that the imperial treasury was seized by the Goths when in A.D. 251 they crushed the Roman army at Abritus.1 Most of the plundered Roman gold was presumably in the form of coin (ingots are neither excluded nor confirmed). This gold has now been traced with some confidence to archaeological sites of the Wielbark and the Chernyakhiv cultures, in particular to grave assemblages dated to the second half of the 3rd c. (phase C1b-C2 of the Late Roman period).2 This had even broader consequences, since the capture of an enormous amount of gold by the barbarians could have been the immediate cause of the deterioration of the aureus under Decius‘ successors.3

ROMAN COIN FINDS FROM VOLHYNIA: MAIN CATEGORIES AND DISTRIBUTION FEATURES (to the problem of regional study)

The article is an experience of regional study of Roman coins finds on the territory of Eastern Europe. The basic information about them was collected and published in the middle of the 20th century. However, today this source base has significantly expanded. Basically, due to the use of metal detectors during archaeological research and, unfortunately, for illegal purposes (such finds are called «less reliable», their use is obligatory, however, provided a critical approach to information). Analysis of the main categories of Roman coins finds in the region made it possible to distinguish features in their distribution. Basically, Volhynia are is outside the concentration of the main categories of finds of Roman coins in Eastern Barbaricum: Roman republican coins, 1—2nd c. AD denarii, 1—3rd c. AD aurei, 2—3rd AD bronze provincial coins, antoniniani and bronze and silver emissions of 4th c. AD. Nevertheless, the concentration of the 4th c. AD Roman gold medallions is associated with this region (in article published a new find of such coin), which indicates here the existence of the centre of the barbarous elite. In general, the numismatic material of the Volhynia region is typical for the territory of the right bank of Dnieper. At the same time, do not forget that Volhynia, like all territory of Eastern Barbaricum, in Roman period was part of the German cultural circle, in which Roman coins were universal.

Gold-bearing Plio-Quaternary deposits: Insights from airborne LiDAR technology into the landscape evolution during the early Roman mining works in north-west Spain

This article focuses on the characterization of auriferous deposits, identification of hitherto unknown Roman mining infrastructure remains, and the early attempts of exploitation carried out in north-west Iberia. The research has combined airborne laser scanning (LiDAR) and field prospection to explore the geomorphological signature and landscape transformation resulting from Roman mining works in two unknown sectors of the western Duero Meseta. The integration of geological and remote sensing information contributed to extend the Roman's mining domains, traditionally focused on the river headwaters of the north-west. The article explores the complex hydraulic system developed in the Jamuz and lower sector of the Eria river valleys, as well as the evidence of open-cast mining and their relationship with the Roman army. The results suggest that the highly dispersed and reduced dimensions of the mining sites correspond to a selected method of gold prospection, employed for the identification of viable exploitation sectors. Thus, the initiation of the mining works could have started in the Jamuz valley and developed systematically in this area, to subsequently spread towards the upstream sectors and nearby valleys. This research contributes to gain new insights into the extension and complexity of the mining infrastructure, indicating the importance of the gold-bearing raña deposits within the framework of Roman gold mining in north-west Spain.

Addenda: Einige Bemerkungen zu spätantiken Silber- und Goldbarren

In 2003, 2014 and 2015 we published two basic studies and a further paper on Roman silver and gold bars with stamps, hallmarks or other types of signatures of late antiquity. A characteristic feature of silver bars of this period is their double-axe shape. However, this form is not a canonical one in all periods of this era. In the center of the analysis of known Roman gold bars there stood in particular the findings of Crasna and Feldioara in Romania in the shape of ‘sealing wax sticks’. This paper aims to add some supplementary remarks on several details that had not taken sufficient account in our earlier publications. Moreover, we shall give hints to new finds and depositories of older findings unknown so far. Finally, we shall draw attention on possible or real forgeries of the recent past.

New Perspectives for UAV-Based Modelling the Roman Gold Mining Infrastructure in NW Spain

This contribution discusses the potential of UAV-assisted (unmanned aerial vehicles) photogrammetry for the study and preservation of mining heritage sites using the example of Roman gold mining infrastructure in northwestern Spain. The study area represents the largest gold area in Roman times and comprises 7 mining elements of interest that characterize the most representative examples of such ancient works. UAV technology provides a non-invasive procedure valuable for the acquisition of digital information in remote, difficult to access areas or under the risk of destruction. The proposed approach is a cost-effective, robust and rapid method for image processing in remote areas were no traditional surveying technologies are available. It is based on a combination of data provided by aerial orthoimage and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to improve the accuracy of UAV derived data. The results provide high-resolution orthomosaic, DEMs and 3D textured models that aim for the documentation of ancient mining scenarios, providing high-resolution digital information that improves the identification, description and interpretation of mining elements such as the hydraulic infrastructure, the presence of open-cast mines which exemplifies the different exploitation methods, and settlements. However, beyond the scientific and technical information provided by the data, the 3D documentation of ancient mining scenarios is a powerful tool for an effective and wider public diffusion ensuring the visualization, preservation and awareness over the importance and conservation of world mining heritage sites.