the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
On the 5th of March 2020, I visited the Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum from 10 am to 2 pm. The site is recognized as the oldest and most productive mine on quicksilver in the United States. It is located in Santa Clara County, California. Together with my fellow students and a couple of other visitors, we were taken through a systematic arrangement of exhibits about the history of mercury mining as well as the lifestyles of mining communities. The visit was beneficial because we were able to understand the ideas of underground mining through the shaft process. Another educative thing about the visit is the fact that we were able to know the role that technology has played in the extraction of liquid mercury from mined cinnabar ore. The artifacts presented in the museum is an evidence of the diversity of people who once worked in the site, including Mexicans, Cornish and Chinese families.
The Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum has a historical significance of being a mercury mining site. Through it, people get to know the different processes of mining quicksilver in the United States. It has helped with keeping records of mining in ancient times. In addition to this, the museum also provides an opportunity to compare the different ways of extracting mercury from cinnabar ore in respect to ancient and modern times. The reason why I selected this specific locale is the attractiveness of it from an outside appearance, which is a reflection of how organized the place is. Also, being a lover of geographic activities such as volcanic activities and mining, this was the best opportunity for me to explore the topic of mining. This class has been significant to me in many ways. For the visit to Almaden in particular, the class course work had prepared me well in terms of what to expect during the visit.