Earth fire (ore mining)
Erdbrand or Ergeesen is a historical name for certain forms of silver sulfide in silver ore mining.
It is the appearance of black silver , an earthy, often powdery form of argentite , which occurs as a drusen filling , in crevices and passages as a coating on silver and silver ores.
The term earth fire comes from the belief that the ore was burned or weathered. It was believed that the "underground air" had special qualities that were harmful to the ores - hence the other designation Ergeesen or ergeesen ore , which means something like "fermented ore":
- Ergeesen ore, in which the earth fire consumes the ore and only leaves a grist like rusz, from which the content is fermented.
If you came across a cave or crevice in which the silver ore was covered with a soot-like layer, it was said that you had “arrived too late” or “touched ergeesen ore”.
Individual evidence
- ↑ German Dictionary , Vol. 4, Sp. 1349
- ^ Johann Gottlob Lehmann: Treatise on the metal mothers and the production of metals: derived from natural science and mining science and proven with chemical experiments. Nicolai, Berlin 1753, p. 130 [1]