Corporate Operations Principles Investors News Contact Social Scene German Section Silver Store EMAIL ALERTS AREA HISTORY Home/Operations/Area History Photo Gallery By: Alfredo Terrazas, Mining Engineer, October 1968 Mining in Mexico dates back to the days of the Aztec Empire when Hernán Cortés conquered it in 1521, metals were already being produced. So much so that Cortés writes in his memoirs “that in the Great Tenoxtitlén Market, the metals: gold, silver, copper and tin were being sold; that marvelous vases and jewelry were also on display; that the smiths from Cholula and Atzcapotzalco were the most famous; that cutting instruments of hard copper were available; and that cinnabar – mercury sulphide – was used as a pigment”. The Aztecs, without any doubt, obtained most of the metals from river sands, but some did come from vein outcrops. These were mined by chiseling and hammering or by building fires against them and, when well heated, quenching with water in order to break up the ore. The products from these operations were then concentrated and, in turn, smelted to obtain the pure metals. However, and in spite of the primitive methods, the production of gold and silver was fabulous for the time. It is generally believed that the early producers were the Districts of: Oaxaca, Zimapán, Pachuca and Taxco. GUANAJUATO MINING DISTRICT This District was located in the southern part of the Chichimeca Indian Empire which covered the central part of the now Republic of Mexico. The Chichimecas were ferocious warriors and for this reason Guanajuato was not overrun by the Spaniards until 1529 when Nuño de Guzman, with “a great show of force” took it over. However, it was kept under continuous harassment by the Indians. For this very reason, the discovery of its gold and silver deposits did not occur until 1548. It is recorded that a driver of a mule-train, on his way to the recently-discovered ore deposits in Zacatecas, found streaks of melted silver in some of the rocks around their camp-fire which was located near the Cerro de Cubilete (where the monumental statue to Christ the King stands now). The origin of the rocks very likely would correspond to some point within the now important La Luz Mining District. The mule-driver, named Juan de Rayas, was so enthusiastic about his find, that he remained in the District to discover, two years later (1550), the outcrop of what is now the famous Rayas Mine, in the Mother Lode of the Guanajuato District. Unfortunately, and because of the frequent incursions of the Chichimecas, mining did not take root soon. It required 50 years of hard fighting, in which the armour and war implements of the Spaniards finally conquered the brave Indians. As a result, a peace treaty was signed in 1598, whereby the Spaniards obliged themselves to feed and clothe the Indians; they, for their part, agreed to be obedient and promised “to help to subdue the rebellious and troublesome”. In this connection, it is only fair to mention here that the priests, headed by Vasco de Quiroga, deserve a lot of credit for this settlement. Read More XX CENTURY (1900-1968) In the early part of the Century, American promoters came to Guanajuato lured, no doubt, by the much-publicised stories about the great “bonanzas” exploited in the past. These promoters managed to organize several stock companies to re-open some of the most noted old mines. Their study no doubt showed that there were available large tonnages of rejected mineral from the old operations and, perhaps, some fresh ore in pillars. At the time, they had a most valuable advantage over previous operations, in that the ore could be treated by the then recently discovered “Cyanide Process”. It rendered considerably greater recoveries than the old “Patio” system and at a very significantly lower cost. With plenty of old fills that could be cheaply exploited and treated, they operated the mines for some 30 years with, I believe, fair profits. However, they failed to do exploration work and disregarded the maintenance and modernization of their equipment. In this manner, by 1935, when labour demanded better wages and working conditions, they were caught entirely unprepared, deciding to turn the properties over to the workmen in payment of their legal demands. Read More ©2012 Great Panther Silver Limited Home | Corporate | Projects | Investors | News | Contact | Legal | Privacy Policy | Site Map Powered By Q4 Web Systems 4.0.6.245 Designed By: Kitschkreative