De re metallica (Latin for On the Nature of Metals 1556 - IN ENGLISH

[BuffaloBob]

De re metallica (Latin for On the Nature of Metals (Minerals)) is a book cataloguing the state of the art of mining, refining, and smelting metals, published a year posthumously in 1556 due to a delay in preparing woodcuts for the text. The author was Georg Bauer, whose pen name was the Latinized Georgius Agricola. The book remained the authoritative text on mining for 180 years after its publication. It was also an important chemistry text for the period and is significant in the history of chemistry.[SUP][1][/SUP]

The how-to book on mining.. from dowsing on
llustrated tools, techniques, everything done in the old world. And many of the same techiniques in the New World. Facinating..
BB

The Project Gutenberg eBook of De Re Metallica, by Georgius Agricola.

 

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A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[BuffaloBob]

CONTENTS...

Contents

• 1 Summary
  • 1.1 Preface
  • 1.2 Book I: Arguments for and against this art
  • 1.3 Book II: The miner and a discourse on the finding of veins
  • 1.4 Book III: Veins and stringers and seams in the rocks
  • 1.5 Book IV: Delimiting veins and the functions of mining officials
  • 1.6 Book V: The digging of ore and the surveyor's art
  • 1.7 Book VI: The miners' tools and machines
  • 1.8 Book VII: On the assaying of ore
  • 1.9 Book VIII: Roasting, crushing and washing ore
  • 1.10 Book IX: Methods of smelting ores
  • 1.11 Book X: Separating silver from gold and lead from gold or silver
  • 1.12 Book XI: Separating silver from copper
  • 1.13 Book XII: Manufacturing salt, soda, alum, vitriol, sulphur, bitumen, and glass
• 2 Publication history
• 3 Editions
• 4 See also
• 5 References
• 6 External links

[h=2]Summary[/h]

 

[miboje]

Thank you Buffalobob for posting this! I had NO idea this was available for free online. Though I am certain most of this is going to be over my head, I am going in head first anyhow.

 

[miboje]

I'm about halfway through the parts I'm most interested in, and I wholeheartedly recommend this reading material!

 

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Most of the 'fire' assay materiels and methods are still practiced even after all of these years.