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Great Orme Mine

Ancient Mine / Quarry

News

Great Orme Mine gets into Guinness Record Book


Edited from icNorthWales.

The Great Orme Copper Mines have won official recognition as the largest Bronze Age copper mines in the world. The category is new, making the Great Orme site the first holder of the title. Mines spokesman Nick Jowett said staff were delighted. "Finally the mine has been recognised for what it is - a world-class site of major archaeological significance. The discovery of these mines turned former ideas about Britain in the Bronze Age on their head. Twenty years ago it was thought no copper mining took place in Britain during the Bronze Age."

The award comes after 15 years of excavation, surveying and recording along five kilo-metres of tunnels. A section of the mine is open to the public as part of the Bronze Age mining experience tours. Research is currently being carried out by experts from the University of Wales and Daresbury Laboratories, in Cheshire.

They are fingerprinting the copper from the Great Orme to determine the extent of the trade network emanating from the mine. This year DNA analysis is being carried out on human bones discovered in the mine.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
27th May 2004ce
Edited 27th May 2004ce

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