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History of Mining Timeline

(c. 400,000 BCE–Present)

The history of mining traces humanity’s development from early stone quarrying to the extraction of coal, metals, and critical minerals that power modern societies. Less

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Ancient and medieval mining

Parian marble quarrying on Thassos

700 BC - 601 BC

After arriving on Thassos in the seventh century BC, Parians quarried marble on the island, contributing to the development of major Aegean stone industries.

Trans-Saharan gold trade expands

600 - 1399

Gold became an important African commodity during the trans-Saharan gold trade, linking West African gold-producing regions with North African and Mediterranean markets.

Image source: Trans-Saharan trade

Trans-Saharan gold trade expands

Rising demand for iron weapons and equipment

1300 - 1399

The growing use of weapons, armour, stirrups, and horseshoes greatly increased demand for iron and encouraged expanded extraction and processing.

Image source: Iron ore

Rising demand for iron weapons and equipment

European silver crisis

1465

The silver crisis of 1465 occurred when mines reached depths at which available technology could no longer keep their shafts dry, limiting production.

Image source: Silver mining

European silver crisis

Publication of De re metallica

1556

Georg Agricola's De re metallica documented mining and metallurgy and became one of the most important written sources on medieval and early modern mining techniques.

Image source: De re metallica

Publication of De re metallica

Industrial expansion

Mining spreads from central Europe to England

1550

Differences in social structure helped the increasingly intensive extraction of mineral deposits spread from central Europe to England during the mid-sixteenth century.

English restriction of royal mining rights

1568 - 1688

Judicial action in 1568 and legislation in 1688 restricted English royal mining rights to gold and silver, despite England possessing virtually no deposits of either metal.

Black powder introduced to mining

1627

Black powder was first used in mining at Selmecbánya in the Kingdom of Hungary, now Banská Štiavnica in Slovakia, marking an important change in excavation methods.

German mining colony at Keswick

1642

Hundreds of German technicians and skilled workers were brought to England. By 1642, a colony of about 4,000 foreigners was mining and smelting copper at Keswick.

French exploration for copper on Lake Superior

1727

Louis Denys de La Ronde took command of Fort La Pointe at Chequamegon Bay, where Indigenous people informed him of an island containing copper.

La Ronde receives permission to mine

1733 - 1740

La Ronde obtained permission from the French crown to operate mines in 1733 and became known as the first practical miner on Lake Superior. Mining stopped seven years later after conflict between Sioux and Chippewa groups.

Mining academy established at Selmecbánya

1762

One of the world's first mining academies was established at Selmecbánya in 1762, formalizing technical education for the mining industry.

Gold and diamond mining reshape Southern Africa

1800

After the Great Trek in the nineteenth century, gold and diamond mining in Southern Africa had major political and economic effects.

Mining expands in the United States

1800 - 1899

Mining became widespread in the United States during the nineteenth century, expanding alongside settlement, transportation, and industrial development.

Image source: Mining in the United States

Mining expands in the United States

Gold and coal mining begin in Australasia

1800 - 1899

Gold and coal mining began in Australia and New Zealand during the nineteenth century, helping establish both countries as important mineral-producing regions.

Image source: Mining in Australia

Gold and coal mining begin in Australasia

California Gold Rush and western expansion

1848 - 1855

The California Gold Rush made mining for precious metals a major driver of United States westward expansion toward the Pacific coast, alongside ranching and settlement.

Image source: California Gold Rush

California Gold Rush and western expansion

General Mining Act of 1872

1872

The United States Congress passed the General Mining Act of 1872 to encourage mining on federal lands.

Image source: General Mining Act of 1872

General Mining Act of 1872

Western US coal and base-metal boom

1900 - 1920

Gold and silver rushes in the western United States stimulated mining for coal and base metals including copper, lead, and iron during the early twentieth century.

Ontario becomes a major Canadian producer

1900 - 1920

Canada's mining industry grew more slowly than that of the United States because of transportation, capital, and competitive limitations. Ontario became a major early producer of nickel, copper, and gold.

Fiji mining boom begins

1934 - 1939

The Emperor Gold Mining Company began operations at Vatukoula in 1934, followed by Loloma Gold Mines in 1935 and Fiji Mines Development. These developments created a major mining boom.

Fiji gold production rises sharply

1934 - 1939

Fiji's gold production increased more than one hundredfold, from 931.4 ounces in 1934 to 107,788.5 ounces in 1939, reaching an output comparable to New Zealand and Australia's eastern states.

Safety, environment, and communities

Queensland mining safety reforms

1870 - 1920

A rise in mining accidents in Queensland led to increased safety measures concerning the use of explosives between 1870 and 1920.

Courrières mine disaster

Mar 10, 1906

An explosion and fire at the Courrières mine in northern France killed 1,099 miners, making it Europe's worst mining accident.

Benxihu Colliery disaster

Apr 26, 1942

The Benxihu Colliery accident in China killed 1,549 miners, surpassing the Courrières disaster as the deadliest mining accident recorded at that time.

Landfill mining begins in Tel Aviv

1953

The first landfill mine opened in Tel Aviv in 1953. Further development remained limited because accessible natural ores were generally abundant.

Mine Safety and Health Administration established

1978

The Mine Safety and Health Administration was established to prevent death, illness, and injury in mining and promote safe and healthful workplaces. US miner fatalities fell from 242 in 1978 to 24 in 2019.

Image source: Mine Safety and Health Administration

Mine Safety and Health Administration established

United States mining explosives use

1990 - 1999

About 22.3 billion kilograms of explosives were used in US mining, quarrying, construction, and related industries during the 1990s. Coal mining accounted for 66.4 percent of the total.

Draft code proposed at Rio Earth Summit

1992

The UN Centre for Transnational Corporations proposed a draft code of conduct for transnational corporations at the Rio Earth Summit. Business groups successfully argued for self-regulation instead.

Image source: Earth Summit

Draft code proposed at Rio Earth Summit

Tailings impoundment failures documented

2000

In 2000, an estimated 3,500 tailings impoundments existed worldwide. Each year, two to five major failures and about 35 minor failures were estimated to occur.

Amazon forest conversion linked to artisanal mining

2003 - 2009

As gold prices rose during the 2000s, forest conversion in the Amazon increased sixfold, from 292 hectares per year in 2003–2006 to 1,915 hectares per year in 2006–2009, largely because of artisanal mining.

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative mainstreamed

2007

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative was mainstreamed in countries cooperating with the World Bank on mining reform, promoting greater transparency in extractive-sector revenues.

Mining accidents continue worldwide

2007 - 2010

Major accidents included the 2007 Ulyanovskaya Mine disaster in Russia, the 2009 Heilongjiang mine explosion in China, and the 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine disaster in the United States.

Talvivaara environmental collapse

2007

Waste effluent and saline mine-water leaks from the Talvivaara Terrafame polymetal mine in central Finland caused ecological collapse in a nearby lake.

UNEP reports on metal stocks and recycling

2010

The International Resource Panel, hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme, published reports on metal stocks held in society and their recycling rates.

Image source: International Resource Panel

UNEP reports on metal stocks and recycling

Veladero cyanide spill

2015

Barrick Gold Corporation spilled more than one million litres of cyanide into five rivers in Argentina near its Veladero mine.

Modern mining industry

US copper use rises sharply

1932 - 1999

During the twentieth century, expanding metal use increased copper consumption in the United States from 73 kilograms per person in 1932 to 238 kilograms in 1999.

Image source: Copper

US copper use rises sharply

World Bank mining assistance expands

1955 - 1990

The World Bank became involved in mining in 1955, providing about two billion dollars to fifty projects through reform, rehabilitation, mine construction, mineral processing, technical assistance, and engineering.

Image source: World Bank

World Bank mining assistance expands

Mponeng reaches extreme depth

1987 - 2019

Mponeng, previously known as Western Deep Levels No. 1 Shaft, was commissioned in 1987. By 2019 it was the world's second-deepest mine from ground level, reaching four kilometres underground.

World Bank promotes mining codes

1988

The World Bank solicited feedback from mining companies in 1988 while developing mining codes intended to increase foreign investment.

World Bank promotes privatization

1992

Beginning in 1992, the World Bank promoted privatization of government-owned mining companies through a new set of codes and its Strategy for African Mining report.

CVRD privatized

1997

Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, Latin America's largest mining company, was privatized in 1997, illustrating the broader shift toward private and multinational ownership.

Globalized multinational mining industry emerges

2000

As the twenty-first century began, a globalized mining industry dominated by large multinational corporations emerged.

Chile and Peru lead South American mining

2002

Chile and Peru were reported as the major mining countries of South America in 2002.

Mining industry market capitalization reaches $962 billion

2007

The total market capitalization of mining companies was reported at 962 billion US dollars in 2007, compared with about 50 trillion dollars for all publicly traded companies worldwide.

China dominates rare-earth production

2013

China reportedly controlled 95 percent of rare-earth mineral production in 2013, giving it a dominant position in this strategic commodity sector.

Notre Dame develops precious-metal capture molecules

2018

Researchers led by Bradley D. Smith at the University of Notre Dame invented molecules whose shape and size enabled them to capture and contain precious-metal ions.

Projected demand for metal extraction

2022 - 2050

Estimates indicate that seven billion metric tons of metals will need to be extracted between 2022 and 2050.

Image source: Mining

Projected demand for metal extraction

Coal extraction reaches 8.5 billion tonnes

2023

In 2023, approximately 8.5 billion metric tons of coal were extracted from Earth's crust.

Image source: Coal mining

Coal extraction reaches 8.5 billion tonnes

Key Facts

  1. Early humans mined flint, obsidian, ochre, and other stones for tools, weapons, pigments, and ceremonial objects.
  2. Ancient civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, China, and the Americas developed organized mining and metalworking industries.
  3. The Industrial Revolution greatly expanded coal and iron mining, supporting steam power, railways, factories, and urban growth from the eighteenth century onward.
  4. Mining expansion often relied on forced labor, colonial systems, and dangerous working conditions, leading to major social conflicts and labor reforms.
  5. Modern mining uses advanced geology, machinery, and processing technologies while facing challenges involving environmental damage, worker safety, resource depletion, and sustainability.

Source

This History of Mining timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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