Geological context and origin of the mineralization of the historic and prehistoric iron mines in the Gavà area, Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula

Díaz-Acha, Yael; Campeny, Marc; Melgarejo, Joan Carles; Bosch, Josep; Lehbib, Saleh; Torró, Lisard; Proenza, Joaquín A.; Castillo-Oliver, Montgarri; Camprubí, Antoni; Villanova-de-Benavent, Cristina; Andreazini, Aleu; Pastor, Míriam; Pujol-Solà, Núria; Amores, Sandra; Xu, Jinyao; Farre, J. Fustagueras i

doi:10.18268/bsgm2019v71n2a6

Cited by 3 publications

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References 11 publications

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“…Palaeozoic basement lithologies of the central part of the CCR consist of Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous materials: (1) Ordovician slates and quartzites; (2) Llandoverian sulphide-rich black shales interbedded with centimetre-thick layers of syn-sedimentary apatite and chert; (3) Wenlockian black shales interbedded with centimetric quartzite layers; (4) Ludlowian black shales with interbedded limestone lenses; (5) Pridolian nodular limestones which are partially dolomitised or ankeritised; (6) Lockovian black schists followed by interbedded limestones, reddish shales and green to bluish marls; (7) Lower Carboniferous cherts, greenish shales and greywackes [20][21][22]25,38,43].…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Minerals 2020, 10, 3 3 of 25 chert; (3) Wenlockian black shales interbedded with centimetric quartzite layers; (4) Ludlowian black shales with interbedded limestone lenses; (5) Pridolian nodular limestones which are partially dolomitised or ankeritised; (6) Lockovian black schists followed by interbedded limestones, reddish shales and green to bluish marls; (7) Lower Carboniferous cherts, greenish shales and greywackes [20][21][22]25,38,43]. During the Hercynian orogeny, the Palaeozoic series was affected by two generations of tight folds roughly trending NW-SE but with opposite vergence.…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Below this Quaternary unconformity, the Palaeozoic series displays strong supergene weathering, with a mineral composition that depends on the degree of weathering of the affected material. The carbonate-rich series is partly replaced by karstic iron oxyhydroxides, which were mined during Iberian times for iron [38]. In contrast, the black shales become progressively paler (grey) at 15 m below the During the Hercynian orogeny, the Palaeozoic series was affected by two generations of tight folds roughly trending NW-SE but with opposite vergence.…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some of these mining galleries are open to the public on the site of the Archaeological Park of the Gavà Neolithic Mines (APGNM) [37]. Further weathering-derived rocks in the Gavà area were also mined for iron since the Iberian-Roman period [38].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Critical Elements in Supergene Phosphates: The Example of the Weathering Profile at the Gavà Neolithic Mines, Catalonia, Spain

et al. 2019

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The essential role of Critical Elements (CE) in 21st century economy has led to an increasing demand of these metals and promotes the exploration of non-conventional deposits such as weathering profiles. The present work is focused on the study of a weathering profile located at the Archaeological Park of the Gavà Neolithic Mines, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. In the Gavà deposit, acid and oxidising meteoric fluids generated intense weathering during the early Pleistocene, affecting series of Llandoverian black shales and associated syn-sedimentary phosphates. The circulation of these acid fluids at deeper levels of the profile generated supergene vein-like mineralisations comprised of secondary phosphates (e.g., variscite, perhamite, crandallite, phosphosiderite) and sulphates (e.g., jarosite, alunite). This supergene mineralisation is significantly enriched in certain CE (e.g., Ga, Sc, REE, In, Co and Sb) that were mobilised from host rock components and later hosted in the crystal lattice of supergene minerals. Weathering processes and corresponding supergene enrichment of CE at the Gavà deposit could be used as an example to determine exploration guidelines of CE in weathering profiles and associated supergene phosphates worldwide.

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Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Critical Elements in Supergene Phosphates: The Example of the Weathering Profile at the Gavà Neolithic Mines, Catalonia, Spain

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“…The archaeological excava- tions in most of these mines were followed by their geological mapping, which led to the identification of the extracted material and the host rocks. Two different main types of mining operations can be recognized in the area: (1) iron mines, which correspond initially to the Iberian and Roman period sand were intermittently exploited until the 20th century (Díaz-Acha et al, 2019), and (2) variscite mines, Neolithic in age, and several are found near each other. The Neolithic mines consist of shafts with variable complexity, trenches, or tunnels dug into the Silurian gray shales and crosscutting, in many cases, the overlying Quaternary sediments.…”

Section: Distribution Of Mining Operations In the Gavà Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

The Neolithic variscite mines of Gavà, Catalonia: Criteria for mineral exploration and exploitation in the Prehistory

Díaz-Acha

Melgarejo

Bosch³

et al. 2019

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Boletín de la Sociedad Geológica Mexicana / 2019 / 295 RESUMEN El Complejo Minero Neolítico de Gavà (CMNG) ubicado en Cataluña tuvo como objeto la explotación de la variscita verde utilizada para la elaboración de adornos y joyería. Los trabajos arqueológicos en más de 100 minas indican que la minera en este complejo se llevó a cabo ~5800 años antes del presente. CMNG constituye (A) uno de los primeros ejemplos conocidos de minería subterránea en Europa, (B) posiblemente el ejemplo más antiguo de minería a gran escala para uso ornamental y (C) el ejemplo más antiguo de aplicación de conceptos geológicos y mineros complejos. En el CMNG, la variscita se encuentra en dos estilos distintos: (1) reemplazamientos de láminas delgadas de fluorapatito intercaladas con pizarras negras ricas en minerales orgánicos de edad silúrica y (2) vetillas que cortan transversalmente estos materiales. El conjunto está cubierto discordantemente y localmente por caliches del Cuaternario. La variscita se formó como resultado de procesos supergénicos cuaternarios que oxidaron la pirita produciendo soluciones ácidas y oxidadas. Los fluidos resultantes movilizaron fosfato de apatito y lixiviaron Al y materia orgánica de las pizarras, lo cual condujo a la precipitación de los fosfatos ricos en Al como rellenos de venas y de reemplazamientos estratoligados de apatito. La formación de variscita se restringió a la extensión del frente de oxidación, y la variscita de ambos estilos de mineralización varia de color verde amarillento, en superficie, hasta verde profundo, en profundidad. El área de estudio contiene dos campos mineros: Can Tintorer y Can Badosa-Les Ferreres. La presencia de abundantes vetas subverticales de variscita en Can Tintorer permitió un complejo desarrollo de galerías en diferentes niveles de explotación comunicadas por pozos y rampas, logrando 15 metros de profundidad. La explotación empleada por los mineros neolíticos fue mediante realce ascendente y descendente; también usaron pilares y rellenos de explotaciones más antiguas para evitar el colapso de la mina. Estas minas fueron abiertas en muchos casos por pozos que fueron cavados directamente en duros caliches cuaternarios, favoreciendo la estabilidad de las galerías y revelando que los mineros comprendían la continuidad de la mineralización por debajo de la cubierta de caliches. El mapeo geológico revela que las explotaciones en el área de Can Badosa-Les Ferreres son simples, mostrando una entrada única a galerías simples o rampas que alcanzan menos de 5 m de profundidad y excavadas directamente en afloramientos de fosfatos. En contraste, las minas en el área de Can Tintorer tienen varias entradas y consisten en pozos verticales a través de una cubierta cuaternaria, presentando una intrincada geometría con muchas galerías grandes y comunicadas a diferentes profundidades con un sistema de cámaras y pilares. Aunque el desarrollo de ambas áreas mineras fue esencialmente contemporáneo, Can Badosa-Les Ferreres puede considerarse como un área de exploración. Además, la minería...

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Colours of Gemmy Phosphates from the Gavà Neolithic Mines (Catalonia, Spain): Origin and Archaeological Significance

et al. 2022

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In the Neolithic Gavà mines, variscite and turquoise were exploited for ornaments manufacturing, although some prospective pits and tunnels were dug on other similar greenish minerals such as smectite or kandite. A 3D study of the distribution of mineral phases allows us to determine the parameters involved in variscite colours. Methods are comprised of quantitative colourimetry, thin section petrography, SEM-BSE-EDS, EMPA, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry. Mapping of the mines indicates that colour is not directly dependent on depth. Although variscite from Gavà is poor in Cr3+ and V+3 compared with gemmy variscite from other localities, the deep green samples content has the highest values of Cr3+. In the case of cryptocrystalline mixtures with jarosite, phosphosiderite, or goethite, variscite tends to acquire a greenish brown to olivaceous hue. If white minerals such as quartz, kandite, crandallite, or alunite are involved in the mixtures, variscite and turquoise colours become paler.

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Geological context and origin of the mineralization of the historic and prehistoric iron mines in the Gavà area, Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula

Cited by 3 publications

References 11 publications

Critical Elements in Supergene Phosphates: The Example of the Weathering Profile at the Gavà Neolithic Mines, Catalonia, Spain

Critical Elements in Supergene Phosphates: The Example of the Weathering Profile at the Gavà Neolithic Mines, Catalonia, Spain

The Neolithic variscite mines of Gavà, Catalonia: Criteria for mineral exploration and exploitation in the Prehistory

Colours of Gemmy Phosphates from the Gavà Neolithic Mines (Catalonia, Spain): Origin and Archaeological Significance

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