Revisit the top ten archaeological stories of 2009, as featured in Archaeology magazine. Topics include artifacts in Ucupe, Peru; ancient irrigation canals near Tucson, Arizona; a treasure trove of silver and gold war items in Staffordshire, England; the Popol Veh panels of El Mirador, Guatemala; the Egyptian menagerie at Hierakonpolis; Phanagorian coins, and more.
Some analysts believe that the price of gold could go to $2000 in 2010, fueled by inflationary fiscal policies, strong central bank demand, strong investor demand, a weak dollar and a decline in gold mine production.
Rising gold prices have excited the public about owning the metal. The US Mint produces a one ounce gold coin and sells it to the public for a few hundred dollars over the price of contained gold. They can’t keep them in stock.
The Arizona Geological Survey reports that October was a record month for website downloads. They had a total of 12,584 documents downloaded from their website with their gold bulletins being the most popular.
Any geological survey that is not moving strongly to website downloads is not getting their word out. If they are still spending a few hundred thousand dollars on projects and then blocking distribution by charging for paper documents they need to look at the AZGS model for sharing information.
The price of gold rose above $1130 an ounce for the first time ever today. A decline in the value of the dollar is thought to be the trigger for higher prices for gold and other precious metals.
High gold prices have fueled the gold rush underway in Alaska. The Fort Knox and Delta Junction mines currently supply the majority of gold from the state, and new, larger mines are being researched.
On Friday, the price of gold rose to $1,101.90, an all-time record high. Some investors speculate that foreign banks may be purchasing gold to reduce their risk of holding US dollars.
While neither of these commodities are at all time record high prices, they have both risen significantly since October, 2008. They are also both higher in price than almost any other time in their history. Gold is now at about $1040 per ounce and oil approaches $80 per barrel.
“Gold mining permits, or claims, on file with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for California have shot from 15,606 in 2005 to 23,974 this year.” Quoted from the SFGate article.
The South African International Year of Planet Earth Website has an informative .pdf document that explains the geologic hazards in that country. Earthquakes, sinkholes, unstable soils, coastal erosion, landslides, floods and tsunamis are covered in the report. A quote that I found surprising….
“The rates of seismic activity in South Africa’s gold mining districts are higher than elsewhere in the world (even than California and Japan, which are renowned for earthquakes). A typical deep-level mine records about 1 000 seismic events each day.”
What is the best way to dispose of waste from mines? The Supreme Court is allowing a gold mine in Alaska to deposit their waste rock into Lower Slate Lake. Environmentalists do not agree with this decision.
The Eland mine shaft in South Africa has been closed for years, but illegal miners are still trying to find gold there. 76 bodies have recently been discovered in the mine.
Jobs are hard to get in Ghana, so large numbers of young workers turn to employment in small gold mines where unions and regulatory inspections are not performed.
Oil prices fell below $35 per barrel on Tuesday (down from nearly $150 per barrel in July) while gold moved up to $967 (up from a little over $700 in November).
A research team at the University of Toronto was intrigued at the results of an experiment. They found that when gold was heated very intensely, it became harder instead of malleable.
The Arizona Geological Survey has placed twelve of their gold publications online for free downloading. Some are out of print and hard to find. They have plans to scan more.
People in California are still panning for gold, although the selling price has declined after seeing a record high last summer. New panners are not very likely to strike it rich – which makes this activity better suited as a hobby rather than a profession.
Lee Allison describes a situation about gold mines in Mexico that are eagerly hiring Mexican citizens who are returning from the United States with mining skills.
Here is a photo slideshow of some of the treasures of the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) in Bogota, Colombia. The museum has many gold artifacts and jewelry from pre-Hispanic times on display.
Recent increases in gold mining activity in Mongolia are making a heavy impact on the environment. Many are urging the government there to increase the level of regulation and enforcement to prevent even greater damage.
theGeoZone has a collection of about thirty stories on lost mines and treasures of Colorado. These are stories about lost gold and silver deposits and mines. Although some of these might be nothing more than stories, others could be true. Included are: The Lost Mine of Dead Man’s Gulch, The Lost La Ventana Mine, The Lost Golden Ledge of the Gore Range, The Lost Mine of Parrott Mountain, The Lost Crazy Swede Mine and others. These might appeal to people who are interested in mining or Colorado history.
The GeoZone has a collection of eighteen stories on lost mines and treasures of Arizona. These are stories about lost gold, silver and tungsten. Although some of these might be nothing more than stories, some of them could be true. Included are: The Lost Black Canyon Placer, The Lost Duppa Mine, The Lost Flannigan Mine, The Lost Four Peaks Gold Mine, The Lost Gold Ledge of the Camino del Diablo and others. These might appeal to people who are interested in mining or Arizona history.
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Hobart King
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