Since the beginning of the Bronze Age, mankind has gone to extraordinary lengths to extract tin from the ground. Prized both in itself and for its use in various alloys, tin remains one of the most widely used metals in the modern world. This book depicts the full cycle of tin mining, from explaining why tin minerals are only found in certain places and the ways in which these deposits were discovered, through to the methods used to mine for tin, and how these techniques were refined over time and improved through evolving scientific understanding and technological advances.

Author Biography

Having obtained a doctorate in geology at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dr R. L. Atkinson moved to Cornwall with her husband, also a geologist, to the world famous Camborne School of Mines. In 1972 she became the curator of its Geological Museum, re-establishing it in a new building. Although her interests cover most aspects of geology, living near both ancient and modern mines has lent an extra fascination to her study of how such an important metal was won from beneath the earth.