MINING ARCHAEOLOGY ON THE MONTE CALISIO PLATEAU, NORTHERN ITALY

The area of the Monte Calisio plateau was already known for its silver and lead ore deposits since medieval times. Miners drove narrow drifts and sunk tens of thousands shafts into the mountain to get to the valuable ores. In September 2013 the Ecomuseo Argentario in Civezzano (Autonomous Province Trento-Alto Adige) started a research project in two mines (Canopa delle Acque and Canopa Dos del Cuz) in cooperation with archeologists from the Ludwig-Maximilian's-University in Munich and partly under participation of students of the universities of Trento, Ferrara and Padua.

The mines and their surroundings have been examined under geological and mining archaeological aspects in three campaigns so far. Drifts and workings have been surveyed, charcoal and ore samples have been taken and analyzed. Furthermore, archaeological trenches on the surface and underground have been laid in. Smelting sites and day falls on the surface as well as tool marks in the mine workings have been recorded. Results of the AMS-analyzes of the charcoal samples taken in the Canopa Dos del Cuz revealed dates from the end of the 12^th to the beginning of the 13^thcentury proving the examined parts of the mine to be contemporary with the famous Codex Wangianus, the first medieval mining law put into writing in Central Europe.

This research work shows exemplary the activities of the high medieval silver ore mining in the southern part of the central Alps.

The poster presentation shows the actual state of the project and preliminary results.