Producing knowledge about mercury mining: Local practices and textual tools

Research reveals that early modern accounts of mercury mining, such as those by Biringuccio, Agricola, and Barba, were likely derived from textual borrowings rather than direct observation or practitioner knowledge. Analysis of printed works and archival documents from Almadén, a key mercury production site, shows no correlation between these learned treatises and actual local practices. This challenges the assumption that such scholarly texts accurately reflect real-world technical processes, underscoring the risks of using them as historical references. The study highlights the dominance of textual scholarship in knowledge production during this period.

Raphael, R. (2019). Producing knowledge about mercury mining: Local practices and textual tools. Renaissance Studies, 34(1), 95–118. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/rest.12584