Mining

There are two types of mines that are across the world. These being open-pit mines and closed. The close mines are typically are done with a miner with a pickaxe or dynamite. Traditionally the mines in the UK that are closed mines use pickaxes. When this is done they follow the vein of ore, when they need more space to work ergonomically then would work the stone so they can stand as they mine.
Open-pits mines are more modern and look to have a track down the pit to allow large vehicles to travel to the bottom of the pit to carry the ore to the top of the mine. This type of mine they don’t use pickaxes, but rather explosives. The machinery that is there loads vehicles with the ore which is then brought up to the top of the mine to be further processed into metal.

The Smelting Process

Typically this meant heating the ore so that the metal can be taken out of the rock or mineral and processed further, using electrolysis. 
For example, with the copper, a copper sheet is attached to the negative anode will a metal often Zinc is on its positive cathode. This is then dunked in a solution of distilled water and the smelted copper ore, completing the circuit. What would then result with time is the copper particles migrate to the copper plate resulting in purer metal.

After The Great Rewind

After The Great Rewind new mines stopped being open-topped and returned to closed mines as it is all the people could use. The mines in The New World like in The The Old World in the UK do not have wooden beams or tracks. When they do have tracks is when the mines are deep. This gives the greater advantage of getting more ore out of the mines sooner.
Existing Open topped mines are still in operations but with mines with pickaxes. Transporting the ores requires tracks and minecarts.
The City of Birdencaster doesn’t have mines so alternatively gets its metals from Wales and Cornwall.
These mines also bring greater professions, such as the gem cutter, smelter and minecart engine driver.

Article Contents

Further Resources

Acknowledgements

Kahuna the Elder
Twitch
Kahuna The Elder's World Anvil Author Page