Mining has been essential for humans almost since the beginning of time. After all, we need some sort of fuel source in order to give us power and energy to keep our homes and businesses warm, electricity to power our machines, and, recently, a source of fuel for automobiles, airplanes, trains, and other means of transportation to move people and goods around the globe. Mining technology has come a long way since pickaxes in order to more efficiently deliver coal and ores, gold, silver, and more to the places they need to go.
SITECH Rocky Mountain offers the best in mining technology, such as our Cat MineStar that helps with machine monitoring, controlling costs, extending equipment life, and helping improve safety. This comprehensive mining technology works with any brand of heavy equipment, from Caterpillar to John Deere and helps with tracking and accident avoidance. You can have everything you need to maximize your mining operations in one place. Below, we’ll take a brief look at the history of mining technology. Partner with us today!
HISTORY OF MINING TECHNOLOGY
Ancient Times
Mining involves digging, so, in the beginning, any tool that facilitated that was in use. These were mostly hand-carved tools thousands of years ago, such as primitive shovels, pickaxes, and hammers. As you can imagine, this was pain-staking work and truly only worked with digging for ores and minerals near the surface of the earth. Mining shafts were dug during the Stone Age (around 8000 BC) using flint in order to extract red ochre and malachite to be used as pigments. Gold was mined from streambeds and gravel, and copper and silver were also mined near the surface. The ancient Egyptians mined copper and bronze in 3700 BC, and iron is recorded as being mined around 2800 BC. Smelting iron ore was recorded in 1300 BC in Egypt, and lead was found in ancient Troy dating back to 2500 BC.
Mining stone was obvious from the construction of the Great Pyramids in Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is thought to have been covered in limestone and red granite before it was used elsewhere as building materials. This was believed to have been mined across the Nile. Every stone was precisely cut to fit perfectly together, and each limestone block weighed approximately 33,000 pounds. It’s awesome to think that all of this was done by hand with primitive tools. This shows you the power of human ingenuity.
The Middle Ages
Mining technology ceased expanding during the Dark Ages like everything else that involved innovation. Mining continued to be done using the old ways of laboriously digging with hand tools. At some point, someone thought of the idea of using fire to help with mining operations. By burning a pile of logs next to rocks and singing them, the rocks weakened and were much easier to fracture, break, and then haul away. Shafts continued to be dug and extremely elementary ventilation systems were installed. Hoisting systems were used as well to haul up the ore or coal being mined. Once at the surface, the primary means of transportation was wheelbarrows and carts and buggies powered by horses or donkeys.
However, true progress was not made in mining technology until black powder came from China to the West sometime in the Middle Ages. The applications of gunpowder were endless; however, it was harnessing its power that did take some time.
MORE HISTORY OF MINING TECHNOLOGY
The Industrial Revolution
With the invention of black powder, it was simply a matter of using ingenuity. Dynamite was soon invented, which changed the course of building and mining forever. Dynamite is black powder mixed with other components that give it its exploding power. This includes nitroglycerine, sorbents, and stabilizers. Alfred Nobel (whom the Nobel Prizes are named after) patented dynamite as we know it in 1867. However, he did not invent nitroglycerin, which was invented in 1847. Instead, Nobel was the first to make nitroglycerin stable enough to use. Dynamite was named by Nobel after the Greek word, dynamis, which means “power.”
At the same time dynamite was making its impact (pardon the pun), new motorized mining tools were being invented. These included drills, lifts, and steam-powered pumps that helped to make mining easier and faster. With the growing need for fuel and machinery to power the Industrial Revolution, innovations continued. Mechanical drills, which are integral to the mining of hard rock, improved by being powered by pistons and then compressed air. Instead of hauling mining materials out of the earth by hand, electric conveyors, mine cars, and vehicles were used. Improvements in surface mining allowed for less waste of mining materials and allowed for more volume to be extracted per day.
Water was brought in and removed from mines by steam-powered pumps. Gas lamps replaced candles and kerosene lamps that were fueled by whale oil. Battery-powered lamps became popular in the beginning of the 20th century as well.
Mining Today
If you look throughout history, wars have frequently been won by those civilizations that had the best 
technology. The Aztecs and Incas were defeated by horses and guns. The Mayans were defeated because they did not have swords. Many Native American battles were lost in the settling of America because of lack of guns. And both World Wars that truly determined how we live our lives today were won by those who had the most innovative technology. The pinnacle was the atom bomb that ended World War II.
From green energy resources that rely on fossil fuels for parts to electronics that use copper for its components, the world depends on mining and will do so for the foreseeable future.
CHOOSE SITECH ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOR YOUR MINING TECHNOLOGY TODAY
SITECH Rocky Mountain understands the importance of mining and the energy it supplies to the United States and beyond. From heating our homes to the fine jewelry produced, mining brings us many goods and services that help to make our lives what they are today.
Cat Minestar enhances safety, improves efficiencies, increases productivity, reduces the cost per ton, and helps to integrate mining products and people. Our goal is to use mining technology so you can have everything you need for your mining operation all in one place. This mine operations management system can be customized to meet your needs. You can choose from a wide variety of capabilities, such as fleet management, guidance tools, safety detections, automation, and the health of your systems checks. From assigning trucks to different locations and improved drilling accuracy to the ability to detect what is around your piece of heavy machinery and real time tracking of your machinery and equipment so you know where your machines are at all times, Cat Minestar is the top of its class for affordable mining management technology that can help to take your mining to the next level.
Since mining is such a huge operation, it can be quite easy for inefficiencies to impact your bottom line. You can even use our autonomous piece for your mining needs. This mining technology works with any size of mining operation, and you’ll see a dramatic difference in your cost savings. If you are interested in partnering with SITECH Rocky Mountain serves Colorado, New Mexico, west Texas, and more for your mining technology, reach out today!