Articles | Volume 74, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-74-129-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-74-129-2025
Research article
 | 
21 Aug 2025
Research article |  | 21 Aug 2025

A millennium of ore mining and smelting in the eastern Harz: a geospatial database spanning from the medieval period to the 20th century

Johannes Keßels, Anna Swieder, Philipp Schulte, Götz Alper, Christopher Tober, Susanne Friederich, and Frank Lehmkuhl

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Cited articles

Alper, G.: The Eastern Harz Mountains during the Middle Ages – the Impact of Mining and Metal Production, in: Cultural heritage and landscapes in Europe: Proceedings of the international conference, Bochum, 8–10 June 2007, edited by: Bartels, C., Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, Bochum, 467–488, ISBN 978-3-937203-36-2, 2008. 
Alper, G.: Archäologische Untersuchungen zur Eisen- gewinnung am “Kleinen Schmidtskopf” bei Elbingerode, Lkr. Harz, Jahresschrift für mitteldeutsche Vorgeschichte, 201–242, https://doi.org/10.11588/jsmv.2016.0.70634, 2016. 
Alper, G. and Swieder, A.: Mittelalterliche Verhüttung im Unterharz, Festschrift Olaf Kürbis. Archäologie in Sachsen-Anhalt, Sonderband, in preparation, 2025. 
Asmus, B.: The Harz Mountains and some thoughts on the copper trade, in: Cuivres, bronzes et laitons médiévaux: Actes du colloque de Dinant et Namur, 15–17 mai 2014, edited by: Thomas, N. and Dandridge, P., Agence wallonne du Patrimoine, Namur, 25–35, ISBN 9782390380160, 2018. 
Bartels, C.: Bergbau und Münzstätten im Harz, in: Interdisziplinäre Tagung zur Geschichte der neuzeitlichen Metallgeldproduktion 1. Projektberichte und Forschungsergebnisse. Beiträge zur Tagung in Stolberg (Harz), April 2006, edited by: Cunz, R., Dräger, U., and Lücke, M., Braunschweig, 23–50, https://doi.org/10.24355/DBBS.084-201304231034-0, 2008a. 
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Short summary
This paper presents the current state of research on mining history in the Selke River catchment as part of the eastern Harz vein district. We used different archives to compile and localise information about former mines/mining fields and smelting sites. The extraction and operation periods of these sites provide further information on possible signals in the overbank deposits due to mining activity, providing a basis for further analysis and interpretation of alluvial deposits.
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