Calcite

specimen number:
8171508

location:
Tonglushan Mine, Daye Co., Huangshi, Hubei, China

description:
Beautiful glassy gemmy colorless to slightly reddish complex crystals of calcite on matrix. The largest crystal measures to 4.0 cm in size. In perfect condition.

The Tonglushan deposit, located in Daye, Hubei Province, China, is a major copper-iron-gold skarn deposit controlled by the intrusion of Early Cretaceous granodiorite porphyry into Triassic carbonate rocks. Tectonic activity and hydrothermal fluid circulation formed extensive zones of copper-rich iron oxides and silicates, featuring minerals like chalcopyrite, magnetite, malachite, and azurite. Historically, Tonglushan, which translates to "Verdigris Mountain" due to the green copper minerals exposed at the surface, is home to one of the oldest and largest ancient copper mining and smelting complexes in the world. Archaeologists discovered the site in 1973, revealing a network of timber-framed vertical shafts and drainage tunnels that operated for over a thousand years, spanning from the Shang Dynasty to the Western Han Dynasty. These ancient operations yielded tens of thousands of tons of copper with highly efficient smelting technology that supported China's Bronze Age civilization.

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