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Pingen - traces of historical mining (Mining hiking trail 12)
Info point | Industrial culture
"Pingen" are hollow forms in the terrain that can be traced back to the activities of miners. (Mining hiking trail information board 12)
Address
Pingen - traces of historical mining (Mining hiking trail 12)
Bastenberg
59909 Bestwig
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Panning describes the process of digging. Before deep tunnels were driven into the mountain, employees of the mine brought the silver, iron and lead ores lying in the earth to the surface through such digging pits. This type of mining was one of the first and also very primitive types of mining.
Many centuries ago, people discovered and mined iron, lead and silver ores in the Sauerland. In places where ore veins came to the surface, so-called pits were created - simple, open-cast mining pits. The rock was heated by setting fire to it and then worked with simple tools. Tools such as winches, ladders and pine shavings were used for extraction and lighting, and
later the term "pinge" was generally used to describe terrain forms created by mining. Many of these traces are still visible on the Bastenberg today, including pinge trains, collapsed tunnels and old paths. Remains of a medieval forge have even been found in some areas.