The Dolaucothi Gold Mines a.k.a Ogofau Roman Deep Mine near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, Wales, in the valley of the River Cothi. It is the only Welsh gold mine outside of the mines of the Dolgellau gold-belt, and are a scheduled ancient monument. According to archaeologists, mining on this site is thought to have started sometime in the Bronze Age. Evidence of a fort and settlement show the Roman military worked the mine during the first and second centuries AD (from AD 75 until around AD 140), these workings being comparable with those in Romania and the late Iron Age gold sites of Limousin in central France. The Romans probably used slave labour taken from the local area to work the mine. This gold may then have been sent to be minted as far away as Rome as no evidence of the Roman minting process exists on or near the site. After the military occupation the mine may have been taken over by Romano-British civillian contractors. After the Romans' departure from Britain in the 4th century, the mine lay abandoned for centuries with a short revival in the 19th century. In the 1930s the shaft was sunk to 430 feet in an attempt to locate new seams. Falling into disrepair and unsafe due to flooding at its lower levels, the mine finally closed in 1938. It is now owned and run by the UKs National Trust. The National Trust run two tours for visitors, showing them the mine and the Roman archaeology. Gold mining consists of the processes and techniques employed in the removal of gold from the ground. ... Carmarthenshire (Welsh: Sir Gaerfyrddin) is a county in Wales. ... For alternate meanings, see Wales (disambiguation) National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Official languages: English and Welsh Capital: Cardiff First Minister: Rhodri Morgan AM Area  - Total:  - % water: Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² xx% Population  - Total (2001):  - Density: Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² NUTS... Dolgellau (also Dolgelley) is a market town in Gwynedd, Wales, lying on the River Mawddach. ... A Scheduled Ancient Monument is defined in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the National Heritage Act 1983 of the United Kingdom government. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... Fortifications (Latin fortis, strong, and facere, to make) are military constructions designed for defensive warfare. ... A reference to colonization, or the resulting communities. ... Roman or Romans has several meanings, primarily related to the Roman citizens, but also applicable to typography, math, and a commune. ... (1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century - other centuries) The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 99. ... (1st century - 2nd century - 3rd century - other centuries) Events Roman Empire governed by the Five Good Emperors (96–180) – Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius. ... Romania (formerly spelled Rumania or Roumania; Romanian: România) is a country in southeastern Europe. ... Iron Age Axe found on Gotland This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age, for the mythological Iron Age see Iron Age (mythology). ... Capital Limoges Area 16,942 km² Regional President Jean-Paul Denanot Population  - 2004 estimate  - 1999 census  - Density 710,939 42/km² Arrondissements 8 Cantons 106 Communes 747 Départements Corrèze Creuse Haute-Vienne Limousin is a former province of France and now a region of France, around the city... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Slavery is any of a number of related conditions involving control of a person against his or her will, enforced by violence or other clear forms of coercion. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ... Location within Italy The Roman Colosseum Rome (Italian and Latin: Roma) is the capital city of Italy and of its Latium region. ... A mint is a facility which manufactures coins for currency. ... The term Romano-British describes the Romanised culture of Britain under the rule of the Roman Empire, when Roman and Christian culture had extensively entered into the life of the native Brythonic, Pictish and perhaps Gaelic -speaking peoples of Britain. ... The word Britain is used to refer to the United Kingdom (UK) the island of Great Britain, which consists of the countries of England, Scotland, and Wales sometimes the Roman province called Britain or Britannia The word British generally means belonging to or associated with Britain in one of the... (3rd century - 4th century - 5th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 4th century was that century which lasted from 301 to 400. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Science Nuclear fission discovered by Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann Pluto, the ninth planet from the Sun, is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh British biologist Arthur Tansley coins term ecosystem War, peace and politics Socialists proclaim The death of Capitalism Rise to... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is an organisation which works to preserve and protect coastline, countryside and buildings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ... Excavation is just one stage of archaeological research. ...