The Ahogada Mine, Río Oro de Santa Ana: A legend with historical basis from the Conquest to the Republican Period of Costa Rica
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| Autori: | , , , , , |
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| Status: | Versión publicada |
| Datum izdanja: | 2026 |
| Opis: | The legend of the Mina Ahogada (Drowned Mine) in Río Oro, Santa Ana, has been preserved as an oral tradition for decades. It is said to have been a highly productive gold mine that employed enslaved Black and Indigenous people, and was managed by foreigners under inhumane conditions and based on false promises. The mine’s main tunnel flooded, bringing the supposed enterprise to an end. Historical and toponymic evidence, along with the presence of several tunnels in the vicinity of Río Oro, specifically on Cerro Minas, as well as polymetallic veins in the surrounding area, suggests that explorations for metal did indeed take place. This appears to correspond to attempts at metal mining in colonial Costa Rica during the 16th and 17th centuries, but not to a mine in the strict sense, given the lack of evidence of economic production, but rather, a prospecting for small deposits. Geological studies suggest that these were likely small polymetallic mineralization of Cu+Pb+Zn+Fe with disseminated Au+Ag in varying proportions. The popular account of the legend has blended real and exaggerated elements to give the place a unique identity. |
| Zemlja: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Institucija: | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Jezik: | Español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:portal.revistas.ucr.ac.cr:article/13572 |
| Online pristup: | https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rgeologica/article/view/13572 |
| Ključna riječ: | Pacacua Cerro Minas Cerro Coyote Alto de Palomas Colón mining district Distrito Minero Colón |