Statement of Significance

Statement of

Significance

C?rnic Massif, Ro ia

Montan , jud Alba

Romania

Prof Andrew Wilson

Prof David Mattingly

Michael Dawson FSA MIfA

September 2010 with

additional summary July

2011

Statement of Significance

Ro ia Montan , C rnic Massif

This Statement of Significance has been written by Professor Andrew Wilson, University of Oxford, Institute of

Archaeology and Professor David Mattingly, of the University of Leicester, School of Archaeology and Ancient History.

The project was managed by Michael Dawson FSA MifA, Director of CgMs Consultancy Ltd. The contents of the report

reflect the views of the three authors ?. No part of this report is to be copied in any way without prior written consent.

Every effort is made to provide detailed and accurate information, however, the Universities of Oxford, Leicester and

CgMs cannot be held responsible for errors or inaccuracies within this report.

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Statement of Significance

Ro ia Montan , C rnic Massif

CONTENTS

Preface

Executive Summary

1.0

Introduction

2.0

Statement of Significance

3.0

The Significance of Specific Attributes

4.0

The Significance of Historic Processes

5.0

Bibliography

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MD/12092

Statement of Significance

Ro ia Montan , C rnic Massif

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Fig 1

Roman Ro ia Montan

Fig 2

The Cetate opencast, seen from the C?rnic Massif

Fig 3

Entrances to the ancient mine galleries at G uri

Fig 4

The Roman circular mausoleum at T u G uri, in its temporary cover building

Fig 5

The C?rnic massif seen from Ro ia Montan

Fig 6

The modern village of Corna and, in the background from left to right, waste from the

Cetate opencast; C?rnicel; and the C?rnic massif. The proposed mining project would

raze much of the C?rnic massif to about the level of the top of the Cetate waste spills,

and bury the site of Corna village under the tailings facility to the level of the bottom of

the spire of the church on the left, and the base of the church on the right.

Fig 7

T ul Cornei, an early modern header pond for ore-crushing machinery, seen from Piatra

Corbului. The Roman necropolis lay just beyond the pond.

Fig 8

Entrances to modern mine galleries in the Jig-V idoaia massif.

Fig 9

Ore-crushing technology - the stamp mills of Rosia Montana and their predecessors:

a)Traditional stamp mill at the old Minvest mining museum of Rosia Montana; b) Woodcut

showing a stamp mill, from Georgius Agricola¡¯s De Re Metallica, 1556; c) Roman anvil

stone from a stamp mill (Villamontan de la Valduerna, Spain); d) Anvil stone from a

traditional stamp mill, Ro ia Montan .

Fig 10

G uri - opencast working with a deep cut where a vein has been followed from the

surface.

Fig 11

Roman mine gallery with trapezoidal cross-section in the C?rnic massif.

Fig 12

Roman trapezoidal gallery in P ru Carpeni, with working marks on the walls and roof

showing how the gallery was advanced a few centimetres at a time.

Fig 13

Roman stepped descending gallery in the C?rnic massif.

Fig 14

Superimposed Roman galleries in the Orlea massif. (The bracing timbers are modern.)

Fig 15

C?rnic 10 - Roman working chamber

Fig 16

C?rnic - Roman exploitation chamber with basins (now flooded) cut in the floor.

Fig 17

P ru Carpeni - chamber for a wooden drainage wheel in the Roman mine network. The

wooden bearing block for the wheel axle is visible towards the top of the picture, and

Roman wooden shoring towards the bottom.

Fig 18

Shothole for explosive charge in the wall of an early modern mine gallery in the C?rnic

massif.

Fig 19

Communist-era transport gallery in the C?rnic massif.

Fig 20

Abandoned extraction machine in the Cetate opencast.

Fig 21

Communist era pillared exploitation chamber in the C?rnic massif.

Fig 22

Itinerary of visit of UK experts

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Statement of Significance

Ro ia Montan , C rnic Massif

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Itinerary of visit of UK experts

Appendix 2: Ro ia Montan and Other Roman Gold Mines

Appendix 3: Statements of Significance

Appendix 4: Letter of Endorsement from the Institute for Archaeologists

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