George N. M. Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Here is a link to an article about medieval mining tools found in Slovakia: http://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/63375#respond They are described as "mining wedges" but I have my doubts. Wedges, in the sense of a triangular object used to split something, would be weakened by an eye for a handle. I suppose they could be handled like our handled tools to keep hands away from the hammer blow or hot metal. The look more like picks or rock hammers to me. However, the largest one is mushroomed on the face which could argue that it is a struck tool. Anyone have any thoughts or speculation? "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmall Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Well the article says : "Mining irons were discovered in both areas; mining wedges and the remains of an iron lamp were discovered at the second mining area." and the 3rd comment added to the article has this explanation: The mining iron is a wedge- or chisel-like tool about 15 cm long and 2 cm wide. The tip is called “örtchen”, and the striking surface is called a “bahn”. The iron has an eye in the middle, into which the handle (“helmet”) is inserted. The helmet is not wedged tightly in the eye, but only inserted relatively loosely and protrudes. This makes it easy to separate it from the handle and not only penetrate deeper into a cleft, but also to slip on a new iron. This was necessary several times during a work shift, because the point iron quickly became blunt. Therefore, the miner always took several irons to work with him, which were re-sharpened in the miners’ forge after the shift. For transportation he used the iron belt, which in the past was actually a leather belt, but in later times, around the beginning of the 17th century, was formed as two flat irons with a carrying yoke. The name iron belt remained… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 I love this kind of stuff. Thanks for the link George, I only wish the article were longer. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Ditto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 As to the mining irons: The commentor seems to know what he is talking about but I wouldn't have thought that a handle would give any advantage. But I've never mined with anything but explosives and air tools. So, what do I know? Forsty and Thomas: This and previous links I have posted are from a site called The History Blog. The woman who posts it (Livius) has been coming up with a near daily history/archaeology article for close to 15 years. It is one of the first things I open and read in the morning. I usually re-post here anything that has to do with metal working or blades. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Good Morning, Feathers and Wedges have been splitting Rock for a long time. The taper seems too much, to be able to put a lot of pressure in a seam. How do the experts become experts, unless they 'B'lack 'S'mith a little here and there. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 "At the top of the slope is a ping field" I have to ask, what is a ping field? I googled it and only got some programming mumbo jumbo. Sorry if it should be obvious. I like this type of stuff too. Thanks for the link George. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 So, was it a stupid question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 I don't know and combined with a language translation issue...I was wondering if they were using ping like computers do trying to find out if a working system is at the other end? I ping'd a system last Monday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 I'm a layman at a lot of things, but was wondering if it had to do with ground penetrating radar. I had my yard located for a fence and had to pay $500 us dollars. To have it done. I wound up dissapointed in the accuracy of the thing, depthwise. He did let me run his machine though. He said "don't tell anybody I let you do this". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 (edited) 13 hours ago, Nodebt said: what is a ping field I was wondering that myself. I Googled ping field geology and got a return that I posted with a link but it seems to have disappeared. Seems it has something to do with the sound different geologic formations make when tapped with a hammer. Sorta like the ringing of the anvil when tapped but they call it a ping or thud. I just looked at the link again and it contained some language that is frowned upon in the comments. Maybe George N.M. can fill us in about that term. Edited February 18, 2022 by Irondragon ForgeClay Works add thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George N. M. Posted February 18, 2022 Author Share Posted February 18, 2022 I'm not sure what "a" or "the" ping field is, as used in the original article but I suspect that it may be a local name or some odd translation from Slovak. However, there are various "ringing" stones around the world which have a tone like a bell when struck. There is a good wiki article on "ringing rocks." The bell like tone seems to derive from internal stresses within the rocks. Such rocks have even been used to make a musical instrument, a lithophone. Also, the sound a rock hammer makes when striking a particular type of rock can be, with experience, a diagnostic tool. I have never heard one, though, that I would describe as a "ping." "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 Irondragon, I think I came across the same site you are talking about.... Good call on not posting a link. George, I suspect you all are right, it is a translation thing. I had never heard about "ringing rocks" though, interesting. From wikipedia: "Recent research into usage wear and acoustics of prehistoric stone artefacts in North America and Europe has revealed a number of possible portable lithophones" Evidently they have been around for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 The earliest rock music! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 Reminds me of a Geology Field Camp crew set loose on a talus slope of Phonolite with their rock hammers---things can get a bit weird in West Texas in August in the field... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott NC Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 That's a nice video. Actually, they make a pleasing sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBones Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 I just recently watched a video of a ringing rock in India. It is a good 10' x 5' rock. The video was about aliens and ancient tech, the kind of stuff that fizzy headed guy talks about. No i do not buy into that but like big foot and mountain monsters i am a sucker for stuff like that. Just fun to watch and a much needed break from the chaos in the world today. Anyway, back to mining tools, we used to have a couple of handled wedges we used to split wood with. The handle in them were also loose so it could be removed when you got the wedge set. Or at least that is how i was taught to use them. This post now makes me wonder if the were originally used to split rock with. Now this is purely speculation on my part but the way they used "ping feild" i would guess it is term that is modern for a field that had exploration for minerals. Today they would use ground penetrating radar or some such thing that would "ping" the location of those mineral. Kind of like a submarine will "ping" a ship to get its location. Like i said speculation as my knowledge of geology is : rocks are hard, my knowledge of mining is : it comes out of the ground ,and my knowledge of radar is : The machine that goes PING (the most expensive machine in the hospital). But given the context it seems reasonable : "a ping field where dozens of exploratory pits of different size were dug to seek out veins." Just in ancient times they had to dig as they had no machine that goes PING, that they leased back from the company the sold it to, that way it comes in under the monthly budget and not the capital account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 18, 2022 Share Posted February 18, 2022 Until it's gone owt askew on treadle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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