Las Medelas

Up to 10,000 laborers held in settlements around mines. Boost to Spanish economy, create gold standard for Roman economy. Aqueduct channels used to route water, wash down materials. Debris, clay and sediment through wooden cluices. Line with heather that catches flakes of gold. Burn bush, take ash, rinse and what is left behind is flakes of gold. (Aras, 2022)