Silver Mines of Podo Rath

The Silver Mines of Podo Rath (/,pəʊ dəʊ ˈɹɒθ/) are an expansive ancient mining complex situated in southeastern Érevon, on its border with Aerghidros, north of Lough Seolta. The mines have been exploited since prehistoric times, originally as a source of copper and lead. Mining resumed in a more systematic fashion during the Late Ancient Age with the discovery of silver in the seventh century BCS.

The silver extracted from the mines of Podo Rath swelled the royal treasuries of Érevon, fueling its expansion and propelling its transformation from a minor kingdom into a great empire. Many remnants of the ancient mines, such as shafts, galleries and other surface structures can still be seen today, although many were overbuilt as more modern mining techniques were introduced.

History

Noamese chronicler Vüqar Quliyev discusses the mines of Podo Rath in his third century BCS travelogue Baruun Talaar Ayaldag (“Travels in the West”):

None in the neighborhood doubt that these mines have been in operation since most ancient times; certainly none would presume to fix the date at which they were first worked.

-- Vüqar Quliyev, Travels in the West

The earliest evidence of ore extraction in Podo Rath dates to the late stone age, continuing into the copper age, with copper from the region making its way into many recovered copper objects of this era. The discovery of rich veins of silver in the late seventh century BCS brought a more systematic approach to the mining operations at Podo Rath, which became a significant revenue source for the High Kings of Érevon. It was at this time that the first shafts were dug into the ground and galleries opened below the surface, where slaves taken in war, naked and chained, many of them still children, worked at the veins in near pitch darkness.

When the province of Podo Rath was taken by the Barchurians in 980 CA, the loss of silver revenue severely crippled the Érevish Crown, and contributed substantially to the continuing war efforts of the expanding Barchurian Empire. The region was reclaimed by Érevon in 1425 after the collapse of the Barchurian Empire, and has remained a province of the kingdom ever since.

Silver Mines of Podo Rath

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BDoe8, CC BY-SA 4.0 < https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 >, via Wikimedia Commons}