Schaubergwerk Arthurstollen

Useful Information

Location:	At St. Johann im Pongau. Motorway exit Bischofshofen. From the horthern city limits of St. Johann 2 km on Bundesstraße 1. Stop at Elektrizitätskraftwerk (electric power plant OKA). 45 min walk to the Wasserschloß (moated castle), signposted. (47°22'38.63"N, 13°12'14.48"E)
Open:	Mid-MAY to mid OCT Tue-Sun 10-16. All year by appointment. [2004]
Fee:	Per Person EUR 70. [2004]
Classification:	Copper Mine Oldest Mines
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:	T=7 °C
Guided tours:	D=90 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Schaubergwerk Arthurstollen, Einöden, A-5600 St. Johann im Pongau, Tel: +43-6462-4807.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

3,700 BP	early copper mining during the Bronze Age.
1907	Arthurstollen dug.
1928	water from the Mühlbach lead through the tunnel, used for power generation in the Salzachtal.
1975-1977	copper mining closed, Arthurstollen still maintained to secure power generation.
1988	power generation discontinued.
1992-1995	restauration by the Verein Montandenkmal Arthurstollen.
1997	opened to the public.

Geology

This is a typical metalliferous lode, containing chalkopyrite and pyrite. Much less important minerals are tetraedrit, which contains gold, and gersdorffit, which contains cobalt. Non-metallic rocks in the lode are varieties of quartz and carbonates.

Description

The Schaubergwerk Arthurstollen (Arthurstollen Mining Museum) is a Bronze Age copper mine, up to 180 m long passages from this time can be visited. This is really exceptional, as so old mines are rare and often collapsed during this long time. Woods found in the tunnels were analyzed using C14 and dated to be 3,700 and 3,400 years old. It seems the mine was mined two times, about 400 years apart, but this is not easy to say with the current state of exploratikon. The good preservation of the wooden platforms and columns is a result of the copper in the dripping water. This is the oldest known copper mine in the eastern alps and well preserved.

The prehistoric mines are visited through the Arthurstollen, which is rather young and was dug in 1907. The ancient mine was discovered 400 m from the tunnel entrance. The tunnel crosses the mountain ridge to Mühlbach am Hochkönig on the other side. It was used to lead the river Mühlbach through the mountain for power generation. The water is also used to fill the ditch of the Wasserschloß (moated castle), which is a typical example of industrial architecture of the 1920s. Today it is used as a museum and visitors center.