Enrique Álvarez Areces

This monograph integrates research from 12 countries from three continents (Europe, Asia, and America). The publication projects an exceptional international dimension, encompassing studies from Spain, Italy, Greece, Norway, Slovenia, Germany, Portugal, and France in Europe; Qatar, India, and South Korea in Asia; and Brazil in South America. This geographic diversity provides a multidisciplinary perspective from the various research groups that have collaborated on this monograph, documenting the richness of their geodiversity and historical exploitation on a global scale.The contributions from the different scientific teams underscore the importance of historical quarries as scientific-technical spaces for material traceability. Through the use of advanced methodologies, petrophysical studies, and engineering analysis, these works demonstrate that quarries are not merely exhausted deposits, but authentic laboratories. They allow for the generation of georeferenced inventories and ensure that any restoration intervention respects the petrophysical integrity and originality of the heritage element.From a heritage perspective, the monograph highlights that the study of these sources is essential for correctly understanding built heritage and its construction history. By linking each building to its territory—as observed in many of the cases presented —the authenticity of the cultural asset is further guaranteed.The collection of works compiled in this monograph reflects the significance of historical quarries as a key piece in heritage studies and underlines their value as a first-rate scientific-technical space. It is evident that these sites are not only the material origin of our monuments but laboratories where geology, history, and engineering converge to ensure the authenticity and proper conservation of our built memory.

Ouro Preto, located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, is a city rich in historical, geological, and cultural significance. It was built during the gold rush of the 17th and 18th centuries in the colonial period, and its urban architecture has been remarkably preserved to this day. Ouro Preto is strategically located in the Iron Quadrangle, a globally important mineral province with a complex geological setting spanning from the Archean to the Proterozoic eon. The city is renowned for the exploration of conventional mineral resources such as gold, iron, manganese, uranium, gems, etc., as well as the extraction of ornamental rocks, particularly quartzite, soapstone, marble, and gneisses. These rocks, part of the Qfe stratigraphic framework, were used to construct the architectural heritage in the Baroque and Rococo styles, many of which were crafted by the hands of the artist Aleijadinho (Antônio Francisco Lisboa). Ancient quarries preserved around Ouro Preto, or even within the urban area, are remnants of rock extraction and are an integral part of the city’s historical heritage. They have become a popular tourist attraction and a subject of scientific studies. Knowledge of the conection between the Qfe rocks and the historical monuments in the city of Ouro Preto emphasizes and enriches its legacy as a global geological and architectural heritage, affirming its status as a fundamental human heritage.

The Roman exploitation of lapis specularis (selenite gypsum) in the Segóbriga district (Cuenca, central Spain) represents one of the most remarkable and yet understudied extractive industries of antiquity. Recent archaeological and geological research has revealed extensive underground networks exceeding 30 km in length, together with sophisticated engineering solutions for access, ventilation, and drainage. These findings demonstrate that lapis specularis mining reached a scale and complexity comparable to the major metalliferous districts of Roman Hispania. Beyond its economic significance supplying translucent windowpanes for elite architecture throughout the Empire this activity profoundly shaped the social and urban development of Segóbriga, transforming it into a prosperous mining municipium. The deposits themselves are exceptional, formed through Miocene paleokarst processes that favored the growth of large, transparent selenite crystals. Today, this unique combination of geology, archaeology, and cultural history endows the Segóbriga mining landscape with outstanding geoheritage value. Recognizing its patrimonial significance not only enhances our understanding of Roman resource exploitation but also highlights the urgent need for conservation, sustainable management, and public dissemination of these sites as part of Spain’s natural stone heritage.

Recent investigations at the Cortijo de las Mezquitas complex (Antequera–Campillos–Sierra de Yeguas, Province of Málaga, Andalusia, Spain) have focused on clarifying the construction history of the monument and on contextualising the presence of an early medieval rural mosque, a rare example within the Iberian Peninsula. The reassessment of the complex, conducted within the methodological framework of Building Archaeology, has made it possible to describe the constructive characteristics of the building with greater precision, both in terms of its architectural design and its construction process. This approach has enabled a more detailed definition of the technological context employed in the original construction phase, as well as of the chronological range to which it belongs, spanning between the late ninth and early tenth centuries. Subsequent phases of reoccupation and transformation, particularly from the sixteenth century onwards, were also documented, although the dating of some interventions remains uncertain. This research provides a fundamental framework for the historical contextualisation of the monument within the history of al-Andalus and highlights the urgent need for its conservation, restoration, and valorisation.

The area around Losacio (Zamora) is known for the existence of antimony, silver, lead and tin mineralization, having existed in the past several mining works for its benefit, associated to the presence of an intrusive body (called Losacio Granite) that generated an aureole of thermal metamorphism with abundant centimetric chiastolite crystals. However, the presence of these andalusite prisms in the metasediments that constitute the hostrock of this granite (Santa Eufemia Formation) also aroused interest in past centuries because of their durability and the strange aspect they present —in the form of a “hen’s foot”— when, after a certain time, the weathering leaves the andalusite crystals in relief. From the review of documentary sources, we have established the different uses for which this variety of stone was exploited, as well as its different facies that condition them. All this is based on in-situ observations, petrographic studies and the location of the main mining areas of this unique stone, to which the planning and strategies used for its exploitation give even more particularity. This research underscores the historical importance of the Losacio stone, its radius of influence from the mining area to the place of use, and the singularities of its transport. For all these reasons, the historical quarries associated with this variety of stone are vestiges of extraction that should be protected, preserved and disseminated.

Este estudo contempla práticas sustentáveis na mineração de rochas ornamentais, no Espírito Santo, com foco no papel dos Arranjos Produtivos Locais (APLs) na mitigação dos impactos ambientais. Analisou-se a importância econômica da atividade e os desafios ambientais decorrentes, como a degradação da paisagem e a poluição hídrica. Os resultados indicam que, apesar de progressos significativos através dos APLs em práticas sustentáveis e colaboração entre empresas, governo e comunidades, ainda existem lacunas significativas em tecnologia e políticas públicas para mitigação dos impactos da extração de rochas ornamentais. As limitações do estudo incluem a concentração geográfica dos APLs e a dependência de dados secundários. Sugere-se que pesquisas futuras expandam o escopo geográfico e integrem dados primários para uma análise mais aprofundada e compreensiva das práticas de sustentabilidade no setor.

A automação tem desempenhado um papel crucial na evolução da indústria da mineração, promovendo melhorias significativas na segurança dos trabalhadores e na eficiência operacional. Desde a Revolução Industrial, a automação tem se desenvolvido continuamente, culminando na Mineração 4.0, que integra tecnologias avançadas como inteligência artificial, internet das coisas (IoT), drones e caminhões autônomos. Este artigo investiga como essas inovações estão sendo aplicadas no setor minerário, especialmente no Brasil, um dos maiores produtores de minérios do mundo. Através de um estudo de caso e revisão bibliográfica, os resultados mostram que a automação tem aumentado a produtividade, reduzido custos operacionais e aprimorado a segurança dos trabalhadores. Contudo, a plena implementação dessas tecnologias ainda enfrenta desafios, incluindo investimentos em infraestrutura e capacitação da força de trabalho.

A partir del análisis de las fases constructivas de las iglesias de San Miguel de Escalada (León) y San Cebrián de Mazote (Valladolid) mediante metodologías propias de la arqueología de la arquitectura y de la caracterización petrográfica de los materiales identificados en ellas, se han localizado, por medio del análisis geológico, las áreas de explotación y canteras de donde se extrajeron los materiales pétreos empleados para su construcción. La prospección geológica en busca de los espacios de cantera históricos aporta una información inédita para el mejor conocimiento de estos conjuntos edificados del Altomedievo, y una mayor comprensión de su sistema constructivo y planificación de obra.