AES_606 Mining archeology of the Middle Ages

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2023
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Petr Hrubý, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Petr Hrubý, Ph.D.
Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Šibíčková
Supplier department: Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Tue 10:00–11:40 M22, except Tue 14. 11.
Prerequisites (in Czech)
Předmět je určen zájemcům o dané téma. Vhodně doplňuje předměty: AEB_A06b Základy studia archeologie středověku a novověku, AEB_A14g Archeologie vrcholného středověku ve střední Evropě, AEB_A15g Archeologie vrcholného středověku - seminář.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 13 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to make the students familiar with research into medieval exploitation of iron ores, polymetallic ores and gold. The course provides them insight into a specific part of economic and politic history of the Middle Ages – technology of mining and preparation of ores, metallurgy, raw material trade, minting and coining, significance of precious metals in the medieval world.
Learning outcomes
After completion of the course, students will be knowledgeable about medieval ore mining and metal production, medieval metal and raw material trade, and medieval coining. They also gain important knowledge about the interdisciplinary character of mining historical and archaeological research. This gives them a new perspective of looking at standard topics of medieval archaeology.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to medieval ore mining, theoretical background, methodology, interdisciplinary approach, significance.
  • 2. Basic infrastructure of mining areas, historical techniques and technologies, sources of study.
  • 3. Medieval mining landscape, settlement infrastructure and mining colonisation, deforestation.
  • 4. Medieval gold mining from an interdisciplinary perspective.
  • 5. Exploitation of polymetallic ores in medieval Europe 1.
  • 6. Exploitation of polymetallic ores in medieval Europe 2.
  • 7. Trade, coining, silver and legal development of precious metal production in the Přemyslid monarchy.
  • 8. The oldest ore mining districts on the Přemyslid territory 1.
  • 9. The oldest ore mining districts on the Přemyslid territory 2.
  • 10. Working and technical infrastructure of precious metal production 1: mining and preparation of ores.
  • 11. Working and technical infrastructure of precious metal production 2: smelting plants and other metallurgical facilities.
  • 12. Working and technical infrastructure of precious metal production 3: archaeometallurgical finds, raw silver and minting.
  • 13. Medieval mining settlements and mining towns 1.
  • 14. Medieval mining settlements and mining towns 2.
Literature
    required literature
  • Dahm, C. - Lobbedey, U. - Weisgerber, G.: Der Altenberg. Bergwerk und Siedlung aus dem 13. Jahrhundert im Siegerland. Bonn.
  • Hrubý, P. 2011: Jihlava - Staré Hory. Archeologický výzkum středověkého důlního, úpravnického a obytného areálu v letech 2002-2006. Příspěvek ke studiu středověkého rudného hornictví - Jihlava - Staré Hory (Iglau - Altenberg). Archäologische Ausgrabungen
  • Alper, G. – Römer-Strehl, C., 2003: „Johannes Kurhaus“. Ein mittelalterlicher Blei-/Silberverhüttungsplatz bei Clausthal-Zellerfeld im Oberharz. Materialhefte zur Ur- und Frühgeschichte Niedersachsens, Band 32. Rahden/Westfalen.
  • Bartels a kol. 2007: Bartels, Chr. - Fessner, M. - Klappauf, L. - Linke, F. A., Montanregion Harz. Kupfer, Blei und Silber aus dem Goslarer Rammelsberg von den Anfängen bis 1620. Die Entwicklung des Hüttenwesens von den frühmittelalterlichen Schmelzpätze
  • Bailly-Maître, M-Ch. – Dupraz, J. B. 1994: Brandes-en-Oisans: La mine d’argent des Dauphins (XIIe-XIVe s.) Isère. Lyon.
    recommended literature
  • Schröder, F. 2015: Die montanarchäologischen Ausgrabungen in Niederpöbel (2011-2013) - Befunde und Ergebnisse - Montánně archeologický výzkum v Niederpöbel (2011-2013) - archeologické nálezy a výsledky - Archaeological investigations in a mediaeval minin
  • Rozmus, D. 2014: Wczesnośredniowieczne zagłębie hutnictwa srebra i ołowiu na obszarach obecnego pogranicza Górnego Śląska i Małopolski (druga połowa XI-XII/XIII wiek). Kraków.
  • Rippon a kol. 2009: Rippon, S. - Claughton, P. - Smart, Ch.: Mining in a Mediaeval Landscape. The Royal Silver Mines of the Tamar Valley. Exeter.
  • Asmus, B. 2012: Medieval Copper Smelting in the Harz Mountains, Germany. Montanregion Harz 10. Bochum.
  • Montanarchäologie in Europa : Berichte zum internationalen Kolloquium “Frühe Erzgewinnung und Verhüttung in Europa” in Freiburg im Breisgau vom 4. bis 7. Oktober 1990. Edited by Heiko Steuer - Ulrich Zimmermann. Sigmaringen: Jan Thorbecke Verlag, 1993, 562 s. ISBN 3799573542. info
Teaching methods
lectures and class discussion
Assessment methods
Active attendance is recommended. For a successful completion of the course, students must elaborate a written paper on a topic by their own choice. The paper must address the issues of old mining and interaction with settlement and economic structures, and it must implement archaeological methods. The extent is at least 3 standard pages in bachelor students, and at least 4 standard pages in master students. The text must meet the standards of scientific papers – structure, content, citation rules, bibliography, sources.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2021.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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