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Historic Mining Area Found in Western Slovakia

Slovakia Copper Alloy ToolTRNAVA, SLOVAKIA—The Slovak Spectator reports that construction of a cycling trail in western Slovakia has uncovered a mining site in the Small Carpathian Mountains. Archaeologists recovered an eighteenth-century tool made of copper alloy that was used by engineers to measure distances and transfer the information to maps; a silver Prague penny featuring Charles IV of Luxembourg, who ruled from 1346 to 1378 and was the first king of Bohemia to become Holy Roman Emperor; and a mid-nineteenth-century miner’s hammer made of iron. Medieval artifacts related to surface mining and two campsites were also identified in the area. One campsite has been dated to the nineteenth century, based upon the copper alloy buttons, copper coins, and pottery found at the site. To read about another recent discovery in Slovakia, go to "Neolithic Mass Grave Mystery."