MINING VILLAGE OF RIOSECO AND FORMER TEXEO COPPER MINES
Located on the flank of Pico Xistras and surrounded by a fairly dense forest, the mining village occupies 1 000 m 2 and consists of 5 buildings with offices, canteen, commissary and housing, built in the British architectural style (red bricks and doors and windows decoration). When abandoned a few years ago, these houses were rehabilitated as part of an employment workshop program. In a next step, the one that was the engineer's home should also be rehabilitated and host a mine interpretation centre.
He is a Belgian engineer, Van Straalen, who in 1888 discovered, by accident, all Texeo copper mines consisting of a network of galleries and vertical wells. The analysis of the found remains (human skeletons, stone, and wood) made it possible to situate their first exploitation in the second millennium BC. Faced with the abundance of recovered bones, some thought that it could be a cemetery but others more likely opt for an accident in these mines. Access to these very old mines is located much higher in the mountain. There is no way to go, given the stiffness of the rise and the absence of signs. After their discovery, an English contractor restarted their operations, installing lower premises (those which can be seen) but using the old areas of reception, washing, selection and charge of the ore whose remains are also visible, above the area of the houses.
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