Experts describe cobalt mine at Alderley Edge as ‘time capsule’ thanks to lack of oxygen
Photograph: Paul Harris/National Trust ImagesPhotograph: Paul Harris/National Trust ImagesA pristine 200-year-old mineshaft that had been undisturbed since it was abandoned by miners during the Napoleonic wars has been discovered by cavers in Cheshire, revealing an almost unique “time capsule” of their underground life.
“This mine hasn’t been disturbed by later mining, it’s not been broken into by kids in the 1960s, it’s not been filled with bottles or other rubbish. It literally is a time capsule in terms of giving a glimpse into the environment that these miners, who were extracting cobalt, encountered.” Intriguingly, the small bowl had been deliberately placed on the floor with a rock wall built around it, leading to one interpretation that superstitious miners might have put it there to show gratitude for a rich seam of the material, which was prized for adding colour to blue and white pottery.Photograph: Ed Coghlan/Derbyshire Caving Club
He continued: “The explanation that appeals to me is slightly more jokey,” suggesting that it might have been walled up by the miners to tease one of their number who always brought his breakfast down the mine. No one will ever know, however. “At the end of the day, it’s a bowl. That much we are sure of,” Lund said.
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