Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • United States
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Bing Gallery
  2. United States
  3. 2021
  4. March 25
  5. Ancient Roman gold mining site of Las Médulas, León province, Spain
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Ancient Roman gold mining site of Las Médulas, León province, Spain

March 25, 2021

Ancient Roman gold mining site of Las Médulas, León province, Spain

© David Santiago Garcia/Getty Image

There was gold in them there hills…

The red clay formations called Las Médulas owe their angular character not to the shaping hands of nature but to those of gold miners—and not grizzled '49ers in grubby flannel and overalls, but 1st-century excavators clad in tattered tunics. When gold seams were discovered here in what's now northern Spain, the Romans who controlled the region created a clever system of tunnels and canals under the hills, through which they channeled water from nearby streams to build pressure that cracked away huge chunks of clay.

As the gold was exposed and extracted over more than a century of mining, rolling hills were transformed into an open pit flanked by cliffs and crags. But once the gold was exhausted and the workers went home, Mother Nature—not to be outdone—began adding her own artistic finish, and her verdant woods have long since reclaimed the once-bare hills.

valley canyon mountain nature painting sky landscape cloud

Related Images

Halema'uma'u Crater's lava lake, Kīlauea Caldera, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, HawaiiHalema'uma'u Crater's lava lake, Kīlauea Caldera, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
Spire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, AlaskaSpire Cove in Kenai Fjords National Park, Seward, Alaska
Zion National Park, UtahZion National Park, Utah
Hot air balloons over Göreme Historical National Park in Cappadocia, TürkiyeHot air balloons over Göreme Historical National Park in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Kachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, UtahKachina Bridge, Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
Wat Tang Sai Temple in Ban Krut, ThailandWat Tang Sai Temple in Ban Krut, Thailand
Gaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, SpainGaztelugatxe at sunset, Basque Country, Spain
Rainbow over Wasson Peak, Saguaro National Park, ArizonaRainbow over Wasson Peak, Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Today on Bing

Hobbit-hole in Hobbiton Movie Set, Waikato, New Zealand

Hobbit-hole in Hobbiton Movie Set, Waikato, New Zealand

Mar 25, 2025
Celebrating Holi in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India

Celebrating Holi in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India

Mar 25, 2024
Cecil Brewer Staircase, the Heal's Building, London, England

Cecil Brewer Staircase, the Heal's Building, London, England

Mar 25, 2023
Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps

Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps

Mar 25, 2022
The Radcliffe Camera, Oxford, England, for Tolkien Reading Day

The Radcliffe Camera, Oxford, England, for Tolkien Reading Day

Mar 25, 2020
Athens for Greek Independence Day

Athens for Greek Independence Day

Mar 25, 2019

Related Tags

nature mountain landscape outdoor sky cloud rock valley canyon clouds water tree hillside overlooking wave lake beach escarpment rocky plant
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.