Las Médulas

Las Médulas (As Médulas or As Meduas in Galician language) is a historical site near the town of Ponferrada, Spain.^[1] It used to be the most important gold mine in the Roman Empire. In order to remove the gold, the Romans washed away an entire mountain.^[2] From the 2nd to the 4th century AD the Romans used slaves to mine about 900 tons of gold.^[2] It left a series of rock pinnacles, gullies, caves and tunnels.^[2] Las Médulas is listed by the UNESCO as one of the World Heritage Sites.^[3]

Las Médulas

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Panoramic view of Las Médulas
Location	Province of León, Castile and León, Spain
Includes	Zone principal de la mina de oro de Las Médulas Estéiles de la Balouta Estéiles de Valdebría Estéiles de Yeres
Criteria	Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)
Reference	803
Inscription	1997 (21st Session)
Area	2,208.2 ha (5,457 acres)
Coordinates	42°28′9.8″N 6°46′14.7″W
Location of Las Médulas in Castile and León Show map of Castile and León Las Médulas (Spain) Show map of Spain

References

1. Damien Simonis; et al., Spain (Footscray, Vic.; London: Lonely Planet, 2007), p. 221
2. James Maxwell Anderson, Spain, 1001 Sights: An Archaeological and Historical Guide (Calgary, Canada: University of Calgary Press; London: Robert Hale, 1991), p. 190
3. Henry Cleere, 'The World Heritage Convention As a Medium for Promoting the Industrial Heritage', IA. The Journal of the Society for Industrial Architecture, Vol. 26, No. 2, 2000, p. 33

Further reading

• Lewis, P. R. and G. D. B. Jones, Roman gold-mining in north-west Spain, Journal of Roman Studies 60 (1970): 169-85
• Jones, R. F. J. and Bird, D. G., Roman gold-mining in north-west Spain, II: Workings on the Rio Duerna, Journal of Roman Studies 62 (1972): 59-74.
• Domergue, C. and Hérail, G., Conditions de gisement et exploitation antique à Las Médulas (León, Espagne) in L'or dans l'antiquité: de la mine à l'objet, B. Cauuet, ed., Aquitania Supplement, 9 (Bordeaux 1999): 93-116.
• Journeys Through European Landscapes/Voyages dans les Paysages Européens. COST-ESF, Ponferrada: 101-104.

Other websites

• Webpage of Fundación Las Médulas, with itineraries, virtual visit and practical information Archived 2006-05-18 at the Wayback Machine
• UNESCO official website
• Photo gallery and explanation of the explotaition system Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
• "Las Médulas, the Roman El Dorado". Archived 2009-02-01 at the Wayback Machine (in English) and (in Spanish) Article by the Leonese writer Julio Llamazares.
• Spanish site dedicated to Roman technology, especially aqueducts and mines Archived 2008-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
• Social Structure and Territory-Landscape Archaeology research group Archived 2009-05-14 at the Wayback Machine

• Action COST A27: Understanding pre-industrial rural and mining landscapes (LANDMARKS) European research project, a platform for scientific dissemination of Las Médulas Archived 2008-11-03 at the Wayback Machine