Geological Prospecting Following The Tales Of Haunted Mines

Myths were already used to reconstruct the geological risk of certain areas and may also be of interest for prospecting geologists. Still many modern localities bear names associated to past mining operations, precious metals or ore. A lateral valley of the South Tyrolean Ahrntal is known as Röttal, “Röt" meaning red and named after the reddish rocks found there. These rocks are ore-rich greenschists, the reddish colors caused by alteration and weathering over time of iron- and sulfur-minerals (often associated with more valuable minerals). Probably this and other geological clues (like rivers poisoned by traces of copper and poor plant growth) helped once to discover the copper deposits deep within the mountain. 

 

Fig.1. View of a small creek in the "red" valley.

According to a local legend the nearby mine of Prettau was discovered when a wild bull throw some large rocks into the air. The owner of the animal noted some shiny minerals inside the rocks and even if not gold, so he had found a rich deposit of copper- and iron sulfides. Maybe this legend reflects the idea of using such well visible geological clues, like minerals or alteration products, do discover the hidden treasures of a mountain.

Mining for metals in the Alps dates back at least for 4.800 years (a 25m long gallery in North Tyrol was dated to 2.800 B.C.), in South Tyrol slag remains were dated to 1.200-1.000 BC for sure. Slag remains found in Ahrntal possibly date back to the early and middle bronze age (3.300-1.800 BC), even if the provenance of the used copper ore is unknown. The extraction of copper ore in the Ahrntal became important only in medieval times, especially in the 15th century. 

Fig.2. Medieval prospecting pit in ore-bearing greenschists (prasinitic) rocks.

So it´s interesting to note that some galleries found in the Ahrntal are, according to local folklore, associated to the Roman dominion. The galleries excavated in gneiss are not especially deep, the longest recorded is just 40m. It´s for sure only superficial prospecting, soon abandoned.

Fig.3. A supposedly haunted pit, entrance to a short gallery excavated into the weathered grey gneiss, in yellow alteration rim.

In local folklore the galleries are called “antrischen Löcher”, "antrisch" an old term to describe something spooky or haunted and "Löcher" simply meaning hole. The antrischen Löcher were inhabited, so the legend tells, by descendants of the first man and women. However as Adam and Eve tried to hide their illegitimate children before god, they now are damned to live in the underground. They are the guardians of underground treasures and eventually will donate the hidden treasures to good people, if they deserve such gifts.

According to historic archives some galleries date back for sure to the year 1530, when a mister Franz Widmair requested permission to prospect for ore in this area. Mines dating back to Roman times are a possibility, even if highly unlikely, as there exists no written record or artifact made of the extracted ore to prove Roman mining operations.

Folklore also tells of silver-veins, even if the petrological composition of the rocks would suggest copper. The found ore is anyway of no economic value nowadays.

Now even if geology contradicts some speculations based solely on local tales (like the galleries dating back 2.000 years and the search for silver), it´s nevertheless interesting to note that without the legends surrounding these artificial galleries and pits these would have probably soon be forgotten. By following and evaluating tales provided by locals a geologist may discover some interesting additional information to include in a geological map, be it abandoned mines, quarries or minerals- and ore-associations. 

Ernst Haeckel, Evolution and Japanese Anime

Ernst Haeckel, German naturalist and artist, was born February 16, 1834. He was one of the first biologists to accept the theory of evolution and created phylogenetic trees to show the relationships of various animals (including humans). 

It´s curious to note that one of Haeckel´s drawings features also in the 1995 anime „Ghost in the Shell“, when the puppet master - a sentient A.I. - discusses evolution as descent with modification:

“A copy is just an identical image. There is the possibility that a single virus could destroy an entire set of systems and copies do not give rise to variety and originality. Life perpetuates itself through diversity and this includes the ability to sacrifice itself when necessary. Cells repeat the process of degeneration and regeneration until one day they die, obliterating an entire set of memory and information. Only genes remain. Why continually repeat this cycle? Simply to survive by avoiding the weaknesses of an unchanging system.” 

Ghost in the Shell, the final battle in the museum.

How Groundhogs Can Change A Landscape

We don’t know how much wood a woodchuck would chuck if he could chuck wood, but we know how much sediment he moves per year…

 

Biogeomorphology, also referred as ecogeomorphology or sometimes as zoogeomorphology, is the study of the links between ecology and geomorphology, or in simple terms between life-forms and landforms. Such interactions range from simple tracks left by an organism in the landscape to the complex cycles of energy and matter transfer (like for the element carbon) between the biosphere and the lithosphere.

The role of animals in the evolution of a landscape is still poorly studied, but one of the most interesting processes modifying a landscape involves digging animals. Read On...

The Origin Of Geological Terms: Feldspar

“What’s in a name?” asked William Shakespeare in his play Romeo and Juliet. It may also be of interest to explore the origin of some common terms used in geology in an upcoming series, like feldspar, the most common mineral on earth´s surface Read On…

Charles Darwin And The Search For Extraterrestrial Life

In August 1881, the journal Science (a short-lived predecessor of the modern journal) published an article based on letters exchanged between two amateur geologists – British Charles R. Darwin and the German Otto Hahn – discussing the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Just some years earlier, Darwin had published On The Origin of Species, arguing that complex life forms evolved very slowly over time from simple ones.

However, Darwin faced a major problem with his theory. At the time, based on erroneous calculations of the cooling rate of earth by physicist Lord Kelvin, the Earth was believed to be just some million years old.

Accordingly, the planet seemed too young to explain the modern complexity and diversity of life. However, if already complex microorganisms existed in space (the existence of which would predate the formation of Earth), and only later they evolved in terrestrial animals, could solve this apparent contradiction. 

Read On...

Avoiding an hangover the mineralogical way

The name Amethyst for the violet variety of quartz derives from the Greek "amethystos" translating in "the non-intoxicated", as it was believed that the mineral protected its owner from drunkenness. 

There are two explanation for the origin of the name and the supposed medical propriety. According to naturalist Pliny the Elder (23-79 A.D., killed by the erution of Mount Vesuvius) the gemstone resembles the color of diluted wine – and so is no longer intoxicating. Or amethyst cups could have been used to serve water as wine during Roman festivities, even if drinking all night long, there was no danger of hangover the next morning.

How Mount Etna Helped Geologists Understand The Birth Of Volcanoes

Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. The size, location (Italy is worth visiting for a lot of reason) and constant volcanic activity have made Mount Etna an important destination for early traveling geologists Read On..