>Sorry Peter if this is a little off topic but Almaden was the most
>important mine in Europe.
Rob,
Probably so - it's mercury production was the key to exploitation of massive
silver resources in the Americas from the 16th century onwards.
Is there any way of identifing to source of the material found in
Staffordshire - trace elements / isotope configuration etc.?
As to its use in Staffordshire - there are plenty of uses for mercury, for
example hatters (Lewis Caroll's 'mad hatter'), but they would import the
metal rather than the ore. Unless, of course, there was a mercury smelter in
the area?
Peter
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Dr Peter Claughton,
Blaenpant Morfil, nr. Rosebush, Clynderwen, Pembrokeshire, Wales SA66 7RE.
Tel. 01437 532578; Fax. 01437 532921; Mobile 07831 427599
University of Exeter - School of Historical, Political and Sociological Studies
(Centre for South Western Historical Studies)
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See http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/files/mining-history/ for details.
Mining History Pages - http://www.exeter.ac.uk/~pfclaugh/mhinf/
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