History of Mining engineering - Research Paper Example

Mining Engineering Before going into the discussion regarding history of mining engineering, let us get a better understanding of what mining engineering actually is. Mining engineering is one of the engineering disciplines that deals with the extraction and processing of minerals. Mining engineers remove minerals and ores from the earth in order to make a beneficial use of them (Meyer 2010). Let us get an overview of the history of mining engineering in order to know whether it is an ancient form of engineering or a recently emerged engineering field.

Researches on the history of mining tell us that mining engineering is an ancient form of engineering, the roots of which go back to the beginning of civilization. Agriculture and mining, the primary industries of early civilization, have been the first two endeavors of humans. Both of these fields also meet the primary needs of humans. Considering the importance of mining for oil and gas production, we can truly say that mining has continued to supply all basic resources not only to the ancient civilization but also to the modern world.

People have been using stones and other metals since the beginning of the civilization. In those days, there was no special machinery to dig out precious minerals from the ground. People used to carry out mining operations by hands. In addition, those mining operations were not very scientific or technology based. The only method found for mining in the ancient Roman civilization was by setting fire on the exposed rocks in order to break and remove them. Cummins, Given, and Hartman (1992, p. 3) state, “The earliest miners date back perhaps to 300,000 BC; their quest was for nonmetallic minerals (chert, flint, obsidian) suitable for utensils and eventually for weapons”.

Some other types of minerals and rocks also attracted miners for various purposes, such as, making jewelry, construction materials, and cosmetics. Construction had been taking place in the earlier ages also when miners used to dig out the materials used for construction from the earth in order to be converted into usable forms, such as, iron, cement, and steel. Harman and Mutmansky (2002, p. 1) found that the history of mining parallels the history of civilization with many prominent cultural eras identified by different types of minerals and their derivatives.

The history of mining engineering can be judged by the names of all previous eras, such as, the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and the Steel Age. At the start of the mining history, excavation of rocks was restricted to the earth’s surface, as the miners had no equipment to go deep. However, by about, 40,000 BC, mining operations had been extended underground in the forms of shafts or short entrances to underground mines. It is a fact that the discovery of new minerals has always led the world into new eras.

Cummins, Given, and Hartman (1992, p. 3) state, “The discovery and utilization of the first of the mineral fuels (coal) in the late 13th century AD carried civilization another quantum leap forward”. Therefore, the chronology of historical events related to mining operations prove us that the field of mining engineering has not emerged recently, rather it is one of the most ancient forms of engineering. References Cummins, A, Given, I & Hartman, H 1992, SME Mining Engineering Handbook: Volume 1, 2nd edn, SME, New York.

Hartman, H & Mutmansky, J 2002, Introductory Mining Engineering, 2nd edn, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey. Meyer, K 2010, Job Description for a Mining Engineer, viewed 21 March, 2011, .