Mitterberg District, St Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, Austria

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Revier Mitterberg, St Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, Österreich

Ancient copper mining area, worked intermittently from prehistoric times until 1977. Evidences for prehistoric mining (dating back about 4000 years, with major activity during the Bronze age) were discovered in 1872, modern mining started in 1829 and ceased in 1977.

Processing and smelting of the ores from the district was centered at and around Mühlbach am Hochkönig. About 190 smelting sites are known in the area between this town and Bischofshofen.

The main ores, chalcopyrite, tennantite and pyrite, were included in an ENE-WSW striking carbonate-rich vein, pervading carboniferous and permian schists, quartzite-phyllites and sericite-phyllites (in the order of increasing depth). Rich ores were also found in side veins on the upper levels, hosted in fissures and fault zones in the schists. In some places of the area, rich nickel ores were found. Uranium mineralizations were almost exclusively restricted to side veins explored by the Anna adit, where pitchblende nodules to 6 cm in diameter occurred abundantly.

The ancient mines and deposits concentrate around Mitterberg mountain (NE of Mühlbach am Hochkönig) and on the eastern slope of Hochkeil mountain. Geologically, the deposit is situated just south of the boundary between the Salzburger Kalkalpen Mts (limestones) to the north and the Dienten Mts (greywackes) to the south.

A 2.5-3 h tourist mining trail ('Mitterberger Erzweg') with 15 info-stops informs about the history of the district. A tourist mine (Arthur adit, 'Arthurstollen') can also be visited.

References

- Zschocke, K. & Preuschen, E. (1932): Das urzeitliche Bergbaugebiet von Mühlbach-Bischofshofen. Wien, xx pp.
- PREUSCHEN, E. (1960): Zur neuzeitlichen Geschichte des Mitterberger Kupfererzbergbaues. Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für Salzburger Landeskunde 100, 389-399.
- Unger, H. (1967): Untersuchung der Kupfer-Gehalte im Nebengestein des Mitterberger Hauptganges (Mühlbach am Hochkönig/Salzburg) - Archiv für Lagerstättenforschung in den Ostalpen, vol.5, p.2-11.
- Friedrich, O.M. & Haditsch, J.G. (1971): Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Nickel- und Kobaltführung in den Erzen von Mitterberg (Mühlbach/Hochkönig) – Archiv für Lagerstättenforschung in den Ostalpen, vol.12, 55-62.
- Haditsch, J.G. (1973): Kupferkies im Steinsalz vom Mitterberg (Mühlbach am Hochkönig) – Archiv für Lagerstättenforschung in den Ostalpen, vol.14, 55-60.
- Paar, W. & Ruscha, S. (1978): Karinthin 78, 23-29. [on primary and secondary U minerals]
- Strasser, A. (1989): Die Minerale Salzburgs. Author's own edition.
- Günther W., Eibner C., Lippert A. & Paar W. (Hrsg.) (1993): 5000 Jahre Kupferbergbau Mühlbach am Hochkönig - Bischofshofen. Gemeinde Mühlbach am Hochkönig, xx S.
- Pohl, W., and Belocky, R. (1999): Metamorphism and metallogeny in the Eastern Alps. Mineralium Deposita 34, 614-629.
- Kucha, H. & Raith, J. G. (2009): Gold-oxysulphides in copper deposits of the Greywacke Zone, Austria: A mineral chemical and infrared fluid inclusion study. Ore Geology Reviews 35, 87-100.
- Stöllner, Thomas, Cierny, Jan, Eibner, Clemens, Boenke, Nicole, Herd, Rainer, Maass, Alexander, Röttger, Klaus, Sormaz, Trivun, Steffens, Gero & Thomas, Peter (2009): Der bronzezeitliche Bergbau im Südrevier des Mitterberggebietes. Bericht zu den Forschungen der Jahre 2002 bis 2006. Arch. Austriaca 90/2006, 87-137.
- Lutz, J., Pernicka, E., Pils, R., Steiner, M., Vavtar, F. (2009): Geochemische Charakterisierung der Erzvorkommen am Mitterberg und in Kitzbühel. In: K. Oeggl, M. Prast (Hrsg.), Die Geschichte des Bergbaus in Tirol und seinen angrenzenden Gebieten. Proceedings zum 3. Milestone-Meeting des SFB HiMAT vom 23.-26.10.2008 in Silbertal, Innsbruck, 175-181.

External Links

- http://www.bergbau-museum.sbg.at
- http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BChlbach_am_Hochk%C3%B6nig

Mineral List

Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities

Albite Altaite Anatase Anhydrite Ankerite Annabergite 'Apatite' Aragonite var: Flos Ferri Arsenic Arsenopyrite Autunite Azurite Baryte Becquerelite Bornite Bournonite Brannerite Brochantite Calaverite Calcite Celestine Chalcanthite Chalcocite ? Chalcophyllite Chalcopyrite 'Chlorite Group' Cinnabar Clinochlore var: Leuchtenbergite

Cobaltite Coloradoite Copiapite Covellite Cuprite Dolomite Epsomite Erythrite Fayalite Fluorite Fourmarierite Galena Gersdorffite Goethite Gold 'Gold Amalgam' Gypsum Halite Hematite Hessite Heteromorphite Jamesonite Kahlerite Langite Limonite Magnesite var: Breunnerite var: Mesitine Spar 'Magnesite-Siderite Series'

Magnetite Malachite Marcasite Maucherite Melanterite Mercury Meta-autunite Metacinnabar Millerite Molybdenite Morenosite Muscovite var: Sericite Nickeline Nickelskutterudite 'Olivine' Opal var: Opal-AN Parasymplesite Pentlandite Pharmacosiderite Pickeringite Pitticite Posnjakite Pyrargyrite Pyrite var: Bravoite 'Pyrobitumen var: Thucholite' Pyrophyllite var: Chrome-Pyrophyllite Pyrrhotite

Quartz var: Rock Crystal Rammelsbergite Realgar Retgersite Rutile Scorodite Shungite Siderite var: Pistomesite Skutterudite Sphalerite Strontianite Studtite Tennantite Tetrahedrite 'Tourmaline' Ullmannite 'Unnamed (Ag-Au Amalgam)' Uraninite var: Pitchblende Uranospinite Zeunerite Zippeite 'Zippeite Group' Zircon

127 entries listed. 90 valid minerals.

Localities in this Region

Austria Salzburg St Johann im Pongau Mitterberg District Anna adit Arthur adit Brennerkopf Reckzagelgraben South slope Deep adit Emil adit Palfnerkogel

Austria Salzburg St Johann im Pongau Mitterberg District Palfnerkogel Bürgstein Mine Forestry road cut Southern adit Riedingtal Slag dumps Taghaube Troiboden Wilder See (slag locality) Windrandegg (slag locality)