Gold Extraction Methods

Gold Mining: The most ancient technique of gold extraction was gold panning, exploiting the higher density of gold to separate it from the materials that were lighter. In order for this to get done it is necessary to stir up the gold bearing material so that gold is able to settle on the bottom of the pan or on the concentrating table. Using the gold pan is one of the easiest methods for gold extraction. A more sophisticated method is done with concentrating tables, this is done with troughs in which the pulverized gold bearing material is steadily floated and little particles of gold become caught on various obstacles on the bottom. If the content of gold in the material is moderately low these techniques entail a good amount of physical labor.

The oldest archaeological finds of the remnants of such tables date from the second to the third century BC. Additionally, gold panning has left behind some comparatively big superficies of placers. The placers are piles of extracted gravel and the length of these can be of five meters. They are divided by artificial cavities made when the silt was steadily removed until an auriferous vein was discovered. A great number of them can be located in Modlesovice. The oldest placers date from the Celtic age and the most recent ones from the twelfth to the fourteenth century. The whole area of the past placer grounds was estimated around 75 square kilometers in 1895. The placer sites are known as technological monuments and archaeological sites in the present day.