I've been looking through de Re Metallica to get an idea of what mining was like in the European Middle Ages, but I was wondering if anyone knew anything cool they'd like to share? Like facts, images, sources, etc. I would appreciate literally anything, no matter how basic or specific. What did mines look like, what were the conditions (flooding, air, etc.), layouts, machinery, tools, equipment, (lighting?) economics, influence, and labor like? Anything you feel like sharing would really be appreciated! I'm trying to do research for an online fiction I'm writing which heavily features mining engineering concepts and am interested in delving into very specific facts and technical details related to this topic, but I don't really know where to start. I'm well read in modern mining practices, but the historic side eludes me...
I'm also very interested in concepts related to prospecting and querying. :D
Thank you so much!
There is certainly more to be said, but, as a partial answer to your question, you might like to review an earlier response (one of the more insanely specific I have contributed to this sub) which reviewed conditions in Wallachian salt mines in the late 1400s.
Hi there - we're happy to approve your question related to your novel, and we are happy for people to answer. However, we should warn you that many flairs have become reluctant to answer questions for aspiring novelists, based on past experience: some aspiring novelists have a tendency to try to pump historians for trivia while ignoring the bigger points they were making, while others have a tendency to argue with historians when the historical reality does not line up with what's needed for a particular scene or characterization. Please respect the answers of people who have generously given you their time, even if it's not always what you want to hear.
Additionally, as amazing as our flair panel is, we should also point out that /r/AskHistorians is not a professional historical consultation service. If you're asking a question here because you need vital research for a future commercial product such as a historical novel, you may be better off engaging a historical consultant at a fair hourly rate to answer these questions for you. We don't know what the going rate for consultancy work would be in your locality, but it may be worth looking into that if you have in-depth or highly plot-reliant questions for this project. Some /r/AskHistorians flairs could be receptive to working as a consultant in this way. However, if you wish for a flair here to do this work for you, you will need to organize this with them yourselves.