Địa chất, nguồn, và sản xuất Kể từ thời gian trước khi ghi lại, vàng đã được khai thác, thu được từ tiền gửi phù sa, hoặc tách ra từ quặng bạc, đồng, và các kim loại khác (Merchant 1998). Vàng là kim loại đầu tiên được đề cập trong Cựu Ước trong sách Sáng Thế 2:11 (Petralia 1996). Một mỏ vàng ở Ả-rập Xê-út đã được khai thác hơn 3000 năm (Kirkemo et al. 2001). Các nghệ nhân của nền văn minh cổ đại đã sử dụng vàng hào phóng trong trang trí ngôi mộ và đền thờ, và các. | CHAPTER 2 Geology Sources and Production Since before recorded time gold has been mined collected from alluvial deposits or separated from the ores of silver copper and other metals Merchant 1998 . Gold is the first metal mentioned in the Old Testament in Genesis 2 11 Petralia 1996 . One gold mine in Saudi Arabia has been mined for more than 3000 years Kirkemo et al. 2001 . Artisans of ancient civilizations used gold lavishly in decorating tombs and temples and gold objects made more than 5000 years ago have been found in Egypt Kirkemo et al. 2001 . Among the most productive gold fields in ancient times were those in Egypt where in the deep mines the slave laborers were maltreated and in Asia Minor near the River Pactolus the source of Croesus wealth. The Romans obtained much of their gold from Transylvania Rose 1948 . The gold in the Aztec and Inca treasuries of Mexico and Peru was plundered by the Conquistadors during their explorations of the New World melted and cast into coins and bars destroying priceless artifacts of Indian culture Kirkemo et al. 2001 . Slaves were used to mine gold in Brazil from 1690 to 1850 Lacerda 1997 . From 1850 to 1860 gold production in the United States and Australia was at its peak. In the 1890s the placers gold-bearing gravels or sand which has eroded from the surrounding mountains of the Canadian Klondike and Alaska were prominent gold producers. By 1927 the Transvaal Republic of South Africa had been the richest gold field in the world for many years although there were important gold fields on every continent and in most countries Rose 1948 . Major population shifts resulted as gold discoveries were documented in Chile in 1545 in Brazil between 1696 and the 1970s in Siberia between 1744 and 1866 in the United States in 1799 North Carolina 1847 California 1858 Colorado 1859 Nevada 1862 Idaho 1864 Montana and 1884 Alaska in Canada between 1857 and 1896 in Australia between 1850 and 1893 in New Zealand from 1862 to 1865 and in .
