De Re Metallica, Ventilation of Mines, 16th Century

Woodcut from Georgius Agricola's De Re Metallica. Three methods of forcing oxygen into mine shafts are illustrated, two of which are horse-driven and the third is operated by a human. Georgius Agricola (1494-1555) was a German scholar and scientist. Known as the father of mineralogy'. He is best known for his book De Re Metallica, published in 1556, a treatise on mining and extractive metallurgy, illustrated with woodcuts illustrating processes to extract ores from the ground and metal from the ore, and the man uses of water mills in mining. Agricola described and illustrated how ore veins occur in and on the ground, making the work an early contribution to the developing science of geology. He described prospecting for ore veins and surveying in great detail, as well as washing the ores to collect the heavier valuable minerals, such as gold and tin. It was also an important chemistry text for the period and is significant in the history of chemistry. De re metallica is considered a classic document of Renaissance metallurgy, unsurpassed for two centuries

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1449 1555 1556 Agricola Bauer Chemistry Driven Forcing Georgius Metallica Metallurgy Metals Mineralogy Minerals Pawer Prospecting Scholar Shaft Shafts Ventilation Woodblock

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