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In the same manner as country rock can become ores depending upon the changing prices of metals, gangue substances or components of gangue can become worthwhile or valuable due to changes in economics or improved metallurgical extraction technology. Dr. Hartill's note gives good examples. Even gold can be a component of gangue if in a so-called refractory form until a means of recovery is achieved. Noel Kirshenbaum On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 2:15 PM, Russ Hartill <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > A classic on the interpretation of leached outcrops has a lot to say about > gangue.... > > > http://www.scribd.com/doc/13343701/Interpretation-Leached-Outcrops-Blanchard > > limonite is almost always considered a gangue, as is "wad," which is an old > mining term for oxided manganese. > > Gangue is a tricky, elusive animal to define, because e.g. during the > Comstock Lode era, silver ore was considered gangue to the gold miners > trying to extract gold from what became a world class silver district! Zinc > is typically gangue in Silver-Lead districts until wartime when it becomes > more valuable than the silver and lead... Scheelite was gangue during the > gold and silver rushes in Randsburg, California until the wartime demand > spiked and miners reworked the dumps for their tungsten content... > > > > Russell D. Hartill, JD > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: M J Shaw <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Sent: Tue, Sep 7, 2010 2:29 pm > Subject: gangue > > > Dear list, > am involved with a project relating to the archaeology (in England) of > ubstances which are or have been gangue and would welcome comments on and > ssistance with the following. > 1) Various definitions of gangue have been published and seem to come down > to > unwanted materials which have to be raised with an ore being sought', would > nyone add to or subtract from that definition? > 2) I cannot find anything approaching a comprehensive list of gangue > substances > hich were ultimately found to be useful or which could have left potential > rchaeological traces. What should I add or subtract from this list? > ragonite, > arsenopyrite, > barite, > calcite, > dolomite > fluorite, > fluorspar, > haematite, > manganese ores, > ochre, > pyrite, > quartz, > strontite, > tourmaline, > witherite, > zinc ores, > > 3) I would be interested to hear from anyone with an interest in such > materials > r with information on site surveys or archaeological investigations of > ppropriate sites. > Michael Shaw >