You may have seen on our Facebook page that today is National Miners Day. This day honours the contribution of miners across the world. We can reflect on their sacrifices, & appreciate the hard work of these individuals, both past & present. Obviously, the history of miners in Cornwall goes back a long way & has left its signs on the landscape. As a working slate quarry, I thought it would be nice to mark this day & have a look into the history of mining.
Things go back as far as 4000 BC & the early Neolithic period. Locations such as Grimes Graves in Norfolk were used to extract flint for tools or as axe heads. Extraction was by the use of simple hand tools made from antler, bone etc.
The Bronze age 2500-700 BC sees more extensive evidence of mining expanding in Wales & the South West. The use of metal objects rather overshadowed the simple flint tools.
Here in Cornwall copper & tin mining begun.
The unrecognizable nature alongside the danger of the process of many of these exotic materials gave them great cultural value often leading to them being made into special objects.
Further afield, Egypt was leading the world in gold mining & this can be seen in many of the grave goods & paintings. As the Romans invaded the UK, they sought to extract valuable minerals such as copper, lead, gold, iron & silver, then send them back to Europe. Better techniques & tools meant that more could be extracted.
Quarries frequently also developed alongside major building projects like cathedrals, castles, Houses & defences such as Hadrian’s Wall.
Knights needing armour, weapons & horseshoes in the 1300’s led to a resurgence in mining as the medieval period progressed.
Coming of the industrial revolution & the power of steam meant a vast expansion of coal mining as it allowed for larger & deeper operations. Many other mines also took on the technology to increase their productivity & scope.
Now in the 20th & 21st Centuries we are both looking towards unique minerals for technology. We are also using new equipment & tech to help us out. The environment & waste etc. have been more prominent thoughts and we are going back to natural materials in our homes & gardens.
Slate & granite have long since been a mainstay of Cornish architecture as well as hedging & boundaries. Traditional builds blend in to their surroundings whist modern builds marry new & old materials.
Weather they are digging our coal, precious metals, or as in our case the raw materials for buildings they all have an important role. So, as you head through your day today take a look around you at the buildings, field boundaries etc. that have been made out of materials extracted out of the ground.
