Mining archaeology on the Bastenberg (Mining Trail 9)

Research into medieval lead, silver and copper mining on the Bastenberg began as early as 1936. While the famous "Venetian gallery" was previously wrongly assigned to the Bronze Age, modern investigations since 1999 have proven its medieval origins. Visible pings (broken shafts) on the surface still mark the course of the ore veins today. The name "Venetian" stands less for the legendary Venetians, but rather as a historical synonym for the great age of the site, which was still undetermined at the time.