Work

Cornish tin-streamers and the Australian gold rush: technology transfer in alluvial mining

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: The Cornish are known around the world for their mining skills. In the 19th century the migration of Cornish mining families created a diasporic community with settlements in the United States, Mexico, South Africa and Australia centred on copper, tin and gold mines. While the Cornish are generally associated with underground mining, recent research in Australia suggests that ancient methods for working surface tin deposits played an important role during the gold rush. The identification of Cornish tin-streaming as the source of alluvial mining technology in Australia sheds light on a little-documented branch of mining that has played a significant role in shaping the landscape of goldfields regions.

Source: Post-Medieval Archaeology

DOI: 10.1179/0079423615z.00000000073

Authors: SUSAN LAWRENCE, PETER DAVIES

Language: English

Topic: Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: La Trobe University, Australian Research Council

Award: Cultural landscapes of colonial water management in Victoria's Central Highlands

OpenAlex ID: W1557971803

FWCI: 9.423

Cites: 54

Cited by: 25

Related to: 10