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Las Médulas is the ruins of a Roman gold mine in Spain that is today listed as a World Heritage Site. It is located near the town of Ponferrada, in the Province of Léon, in the autonomous community of Castile-Leon.


Las Médulas, Spain
Las Médulas, Spain
Author: Rafael Ibáñez Fernández (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

 A special Roman mining technique was used at Las Médulas. It involves the use of large quantities of water to extract the gold deposit. The supply of water came from seven aqueducts which divert the flow of rivers nearby. The water is also used to wash the gold deposits, a sort of hydraulic mining.

The ingenious system devised by the Romans can still be seen today at Las Médulas, although only some parts of it is well preserved. Today the landscape of the area is one of jagged remnants of the mines punctuated by mining tunnels.

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Las Médulas was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 21st session of the World Heritage Committee in Naples, Italy, on 1 - 6 December, 1997.


Remains of the Roman gold mine at Las Médulas
Remains of the Roman gold mine at Las Médulas
Author: Håkan Svensson (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

 Location: N42 28 9.804 W6 46 14.7 in the Province of Léon, in the Autonomous Community of Castile-Leon.
Inscription Year: 1997
Type: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, II, III, IV

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