Part I

Introduction
1 Introduction to Mining
2 Mineral Economics
3 Government Role and Influence in Mining

Section 1 Introduction to Mining

HOWARD L. HARTMAN,

SENIOR EDITOR

AND

SECTION COORDINATOR

1.3.1 Introduction ............................................... 39

1.3.2 Enrollment ................................................. 39
1.3.3 Basic Requirements for the Bachelors
Degree ....................................................... 39
1.3.4 Some Recent Changes in Educational
Emphasis ................................................... 40
1.3.5 Problems of Mineral Engineering
Education .................................................. 40
1.3.6 Future of Mineral Engineering
Education .................................................. 41
1.3.7 Summary and Conclusions ..................... 42

1.0 Introduction .......................................................... 3

1.1 History of Mining ................................................. 5
1.1.1 Chronology of Events .............................. 5
1.1.2 The Miners Contribution to Society.. .... 19
1.2 Elements of Mining ............................................. 24
1.2.1 Preliminary Topics .................................... 24
1.2.2 Stages of Mining ...................................... 26
1.2.3 Unit Operations of Mining ....................... 28
1.2.4 Surface Mining ......................................... 31
1.2.5 Underground Mining ................................ 32
1.2.6 Supplemental Topics ............................... 35
1.3 Mineral Engineering Education ......................... 39

Chapter 1.0
INTRODUCTION
HOWARD L. HARTMAN
utensils and the lethalness of his weapons by an order of magnitude when his mineral frontiers first extended beyond the nonmetallics to the metallics. And the discovery and utilization of the
first of the mineral fuels (coal) in the late 13th century AD
carried civilization another quantum leap forward.
Much is learned both of mining development and human
civilization when plotting a chronology of historical events. It is
astonishing how well they correlate. In fact, one can track the
major migrations of civilization westward and the discovery of
the New World with the insatiable lust for mineral wealth.

It is appropriate in this opening section to introduce the

broad topic of mining and mining engineeringthe general subject of this entire Handbook. Hence, Section 1 in three chapters
explores the history of mining, outlines the elements of mining,
and discusses mineral engineering education. Coverage of history
and education appears only in this section.

1.0.1.1 History of Mining

Contributions made by mining have played a much more
significant role in the development of civilization than is generally conceded by historians or recognized by ordinary citizens.
In modern society, mined products pervade all industry and the
lives of all civilized people. Early man relied largely on stone and
ceramics, and eventually metals, to fashion tools and weapons.
Civilization was advanced by discoveries such as abundant supplies of high-quality flint in northern France and southern
England and firesetting to break rock. Middle Eastern cultures
flourished not only because of agriculture and trade, but also
because of mineral-rich deposits nearby.
The earliest miners date back perhaps to 300,000 BC; their
quest was for nonmetallic minerals (chert, flint, obsidian) suitable for utensils and eventually for weapons. Other rocks and
minerals (ceramics, clay, salt, meteoric iron) attracted the miners
for jewelry, cosmetics, construction materials, food seasoning,
and coinage. At first, their excavations were confined to the
surface, either pits or placers. But by about 40,000 BC, mine
workings had been extended underground as short adits or
shafts, and by 8000 BC as elaborate interconnected openings 300
ft (90 m) in depth.
Metallurgical separation of metals from their ores and their
subsequent fabrication evolved gradually over the centuries, copper being the first liberated (c. 7000 BC) followed by lead, silver,
gold, and iron. Man enhanced both the sophistication of his

1.0.1.2 Elements of Mining

Mining and mining engineering are similar but not synonymous terms. Mining consists of the processes, the occupation,
and the industry concerned with the extraction of minerals from
the earth. Mining engineering, on the other hand, is the art and
the science applied to the processes of mining and to the operation of mines. The trained professional who relates the two is
the mining engineer; he/she is responsible for helping to locate
and prove mines, for designing and developing mines, and for
exploiting and managing mines.
The essence of mining in extracting minerals from the earth
is to drive (construct) an excavation or an opening to serve as a
means of entry from the existing surface to the mineral deposit.
Whether the openings lie on the surface or are placed underground fixes the locale of the mine. The specific details of the
procedure, layout, equipment, and system used distinguish the
mining method, which is uniquely determined by the physical,
geologic, environmental, economic, and legal circumstances that
prevail.
Using scientific principles, technological knowledge, and
managerial skills, the mining engineer brings a mineral property
through the four stages in the life of a mine: prospecting, exploration, development, and exploitation.

MINING ENGINEERING HANDBOOK

NOTE: Chapter 1.2 follows the outline of the Handbook,

previewing in turn the six major parts of the volume, subdivided
into 25 sections.

1.0.1.3 Mineral Engineering Education

The training of mining engineers was one of the first specialized fields in engineering education. Originating in 1716 at the
academy in Joachimstal, Czechoslovakia, mining and mineral
engineering education is now offered at institutions of higher
learning on a worldwide basis. In the United States, 37 colleges
and universities currently award ABET-accredited degrees in
mining and related fields of engineering (ABET is the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.).
Disciplines encompassed by the generic term mineral engineering include mining, geological, environmental, mineral pro-

cessing, and metallurgical and materials engineering, Numbers

of mining engineers graduating in the United States range from
200 to 800 per year (BS, MS, and PhD degrees).
Mineral engineering is a broad educational field, in part
because accreditational standards for engineering education are
extraordinarily wide ranging. In addition to mathematics, the
basic sciences, and professional courses, mineral engineers must
master a variety of engineering sciences ranging from electrical
circuits to thermodynamics and strength of materials. At present, nearly all US undergraduate curricula are four years in
duration, although increasingly the bachelors degree is followed
by a year or two of graduate study.
As mineral engineering grows ever more complex and technologically sophisticated, there is greater emphasis in the curriculum on computers, systems, and related topics. Likewise, there
is a liberalizing effort underway to humanize and to stress
social responsibility in the engineers education.