History, Science and Technology
Volume One of Then, There Were Mines examines the History, Science and Technology that shaped the Sierra Almagrera’s mining heritage.
This was my first book about the mining that took place in Spain, in the area known as the Sierra Almagrera.
The Sierra Almagrera Mountain Range
The Sierra Almagrera is a small mountain range in the Province of Almería. It runs parallel to the Mediterranean coast from Villaricos to Pozo del Esparto, the coastal border between the Provinces of Murcia and Almería. A mere 12 kilometres in length, 4 kilometres in width and with a highest point at 367 metres, the Sierra Almagrera is one of the many ranges within the internal, southern zone of the Baetic Cordilleras.
What does this book cover?
This volume is split into six chapters.
Chapter One: The Sierra Almagrera.
A look at the geography and geology of the Sierra Almagrera. What was being mined and how those minerals were used.
Chapter Two: The Alchemy of Lead Production.
How lumps of argentiferous galena were turned into ingots of lead and silver. The foundries where this alchemy took place.
Chapter Three: Mine Development.
Prospecting, and how the mines developed, under the restrictive laws governing them. The arrival of the foreigners as the laws were relaxed. Extraction, a look at winches, whims and head-frames as time moves on. The how and why of the holes in the ground.
Chapter Four: The Enemy Below.
The losing battle against the thermal waters in the depths. The pumping stations that were themselves money down the drain.
Chapter Five: The Renaissance of El Arteal.
Franco’s re-awakening of El Arteal with the Santa Barbara tunnel, linking 139 mines. And, yet even more money down the drain.
Chapter Six: Times and Technology. El Arteal 1945 -1991.
Ball mills, spiral classifiers, gravity washers and froth floatation tanks, a modern lavadero. In sickness and in health, love, life and times in the El Arteal mining community.
