Abstract
The Monte Calisio plateau, north-east of the city of Trento (Italy), contains a deposit of silver-rich galena intensively mined during the Middle Ages. The work of the miners was regulated by a specific law, dating back to the beginning of the XIIIth century: it is the so called Liber the Postis Montis Arzentarie, contained in the Codex Wangianus and wrote by the Prince-Bishop of Trento Federico Vanga. It seems that the silver was used for the local mint.
The archaeological evidences are impressive: thousand of pinges on the surface, tens of shafts and kilometers of galleries underground, where the traces of the hand-made excavation are very clear (above all pick toolmarks).
Since 2013 the Ecomuseo Argentario and the University of Munich (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) are carrying on a project called “Archaeology of the Mons Argentarius” in order to document and understand the medieval mining context and the miners life. The ancient mines were explored and measured and some charcoal samples were taken (C-14 analyses have revealed that they date back to the XI-XIII centuries). A detailed survey on the surface allowed to find some structures such as walls, buildings and channels. Upon agreement of the local Cultural Heritage Department (Soprintendenza ai Beni culturali della Provincia autonoma di Trento) a small excavation was made in 2015 that confirmed the archaeological potential of the area: dark layers containing charcoal, medieval pottery and smithing slags were found in the middle of the mining area.