Metal mining through the ages : societal perceptions and environmental impacts, past and present

First, we'll look at how ancient societies perceived metals and the places where they were mined. Were they aware of the changes to their environment, of the impact of certain metals on public health? We'll take a look at the Athenian mines of Laurion, and the knowledge of the "powers" of stones in the age of the humanists. The archaeological approach will enable us to decipher landscapes: landscapes "neoformed" by the extractive industry, domesticated landscapes such as the Harz mountains, which incorporate perfection in the field of water control, landscapes shattered by mining collapses... Combined with the study of texts and the examination of natural environments (soils, peat bogs, biosphere), this approach also leads us to restore past questions on the management of this man/metal interface: the suffering of miners and smelters, the devastation of forests, the migration of heavy metals, the irreversibility of contamination... How has this management evolved over time, and where do we stand today?