The Archaeology of Underground Mining Landscapes

The mining industry is known for leaving dramatic landscapes in its wake, and among these are the workings hidden below the surface. As dangerous places, underground mines exerted important holds over community life and shaped the formation of mining identities. Despite this centrality to the mining life, historical archaeological research underground remains limited because the hazards have never dissipated. This article establishes prospective ground for the archaeology of underground mines, taking its lead from several pioneering studies in order to better assess the nature of recoverable archaeological information. In particular, it is argued that the material evidence from the workplace enables localized insights into scalar transformations occurring in the industry, the cultures of work practice, and the mechanisms by which miners coped with uncertain environments. This article also considers strategies by which future investigations might safely proceed.