Mitterberg District, Mühlbach am Hochkönig, St Johann im Pongau, Salzburg, Austria

Ancient copper mining area, worked intermittently from the celtic age until 1976.
Prehistoric copper mining district (about 4000 y old, with major activity during the Bronze age). Rediscovered in 1872, modern mining from 1829 to 1977.

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 Mt.), which is located southeast of the large Hochkönig limestone massif. 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:
- 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.

- http://www.bergbau-museum.sbg.at