O A Região da Serra d’Arga apresenta grande
diversidade litológica, de depósitos minerais e mineralizações
metálicas (Au, Ag, Sn, Nb-Ta, W, Zn, Li), razão
pela qual tem sido palco de vários ciclos de aproveitamento
extractivo. Destes subsistem diversos vestígios
mineiros na paisagem, na organização do território e na
memória colectiva das comunidades. O funcionamento
mineiro passado revelou ainda um importante património
natural - geológico e, bem assim, se expressa num
conjunto diversificado de vestígios classificáveis como
património cultural e industrial mineiro.
Muito embora nesta região as evidências associadas ao
aproveitamento de recursos minerais se reconheçam
desde o Paleolítico, e ainda com grande incidência na
época romana, este trabalho analisa vestígios relativos ao
séc. XX, dos quais persistam referências documentais e
testemunhos da vivência mineira.
No estudo usaram-se métodos multidisciplinares de
análise, obtendo: 1) a discriminação de indícios de
depósitos filonianos explorados e da implantação das
áreas intervencionadas e/ou do edificado; 2) a dispersão
espacial de vestígios da actividade extractiva, segundo os
principais períodos de intervenção (pela análise documental
de arquivos e por inquérito sociológico). A sistemática
efectuada e a organização segundo divisões geomineiras
regionais permitiu deduzir, respectivamente,
faixas e campos mineiros que sustentam uma adequada
fundamentação para a avaliação do interesse patrimonial
mineiro e geológico associado.The Serra d‘Arga Region is characterized by a great diversity
of ore and industrial minerals deposits. The overall set of metallizations
includes Au, Ag, Sn, Nb-Ta, W, Zn and Li. Owing to this metalliferous
diversity and potentiality the region has been the target for several exploration
cycles and mining activities since pre-historical times, which
remnants are still very present not only in the traditions and cultural heritage
of the local resident people, but also in a lot of material remarks,
natural and antropic, and ancient sites where industrial mining heritage
and some of its most peculiar remains and assets, are preserved.
Evidences of mining activities date from Paleolithic times. Afterwards
they were strongly diversified, in what concerns the remarks of Roman
activities and some post Medieval-Age thecnologies. However, the main
goal of the present study is the mine exploitation occurred during de XX
century. The approach follows an analytical perspective dedicated to
documental references of technical and administrative nature, which are
remaining in state and private-companies archives and museums. The
local people collective memoir was accessible through opinion survey, planned interviews and inquiries to ancient miners and some known old,
still-living, members of the ancient mining population. The material
assets remaining in site or preserved in museological context were also
considered and studied using analytical geology and mining archaeology
procedures.
This multidisciplinary approach allowed: 1) the discrimination of the
technological remains and geological exposures of the affected ore deposits
as well as the systematics of the mining areas and its remaining
edification remarks; 2) the description of space dispersion of the mining
activities according to the main mining cycles (recognized in field after
documental analysis and sociologic inquiries).
This systematics, and the study of the regional geological and mining organization,
allowed the definition of geological corridors favorable to
mineral exploitation and related mining fields, which sustain an adequate
background for the evaluation of mining potentialities and the regional
value of natural and industrial-archaeological heritage
