The ancient gold mining site of the Veloso Hills: a contribution to the geo-history of Ouro Preto-MG

Abstract

The foundation and early urbanization of the historical city of Ouro Preto started with the discovery of gold in the Tripuí river, in 1698, in a area whose topographical characteristics were highly unsuitable for urban development. The intensity of the gold mining activities in river beds, galleries and open pit plants, performed by a huge number of slaves resulted in deep alterations in the morphology of the surrounding hills, exacerbating poor geotechnical conditions and creating environmental problems of difficult solution. At the end of the XXth century, a development surge led to an unplanned urban expansion which claimed even the most unstable and uninhabitable hillsides of ancient mining areas. As a result, besides the occupation of dangerous lands, valuable archaeological sites were quickly destroyed by the new settlements. This paper focuses on the relevance of the only remaining three centuries old mining site of Veloso, under an historical and environmental perspective.