Mining

Many metals occur in their native state or in readily accessible ores. Thus, the extraction and working of metals dates much further back in time than does the mining industry. Some of the earliest known mines were those developed by the Greeks in the sixth century B.C. As were mines for many centuries thereafter, the workers in these mines were slaves and prisoners of war. By the time the Roman Empire reached its peak, it had established mines throughout the European continent, in the British Isles, and in parts of North Africa. The first scientific description of mining operations was the book De Re Metallica by the Saxon physician Georgius Agricola (1494–1555). De Re Metallica, which remained an authoritative reference for nearly 200 years, was translated from Latin to English by mining engineer and former United States president Herbert Hoover (1874–1964) and his wife Lou Henry Hoover (1874–1944).