Alluvial sinkings

[just starting]

What exactly are alluvial sinkings ? Is it scraping the surface dirt downwards to access gold without actually digging a mineshaft ?

What would the area of alluvial sinkings look like while they were being worked ? Are we looking at big holes being scraped out ?

I know they used puddlers ,but i don`t know the whole story.

Does anyone know the modus operandi of these mining practices , please ?

Thanks ,

FOZ

 

[Deepseeker]

Hi FOZ, here's something that gives a bit of a visual indication along with a description of the three main modes of alluvial mining.

https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/405651

 

[just starting]

Thanks, Deepseeker.

That fits the exact era i am researching.

FOZ

 

[Deepseeker]

No probs. Sorry mate, I was just doing an edit and somehow managed to delete half the post. Link is still there though.

Bingo! This one's even better mate https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/400938

It's specifically Shallow Alluvial Sinkings

It reminds me too of something that I once read in one of Loamers posts. He said that when you often read that a particular nugget was found "shallow", that you should bear in mind that to the old timers "Shallow" was considered to be anywhere up to 8 or even 12 feet deep

Which of course is not much use to a metal detector. I suppose at any depth if the gold is deposited by alluvial means, including long-since buried ancient rivers, it could even possibly be hundreds of feet deep.

 

[just starting]

Thanks for that , Deepseeker .

12 feet by 12 feet for a claim. That`s outrageous. How much luck would you need to strike it rich on that small patch of ground ?

Geeze they worked hard for it ,didn`t they ?

 

[Deepseeker]

They sure did. I've often thought of them when I've dug a couple of deep holes through hard ground and I'm sitting there completely stuffed at the end of the day. Those poor buggers did it daily with little or no comforts and antiquated tools & equipment compared to our modern day kit. Often hungry, sick or unwell in lousy weather with nothing but a tent or rudimentary hut for shelter. There must have been so many times when they had dug their 12 x 12 patch for nought, and considered chucking it all in and abandoning their claim, but had sunk so much of themselves and what little money they had into the venture that they had no choice but to stick with it in the hope that they eventually hit paydirt. They were amazing people when you think about it. :goldpan: ickshovel: :goldnugget:

 

[Jeff]

Great post Deepseeker. im often walking around the diggings, scratching my head wondering "what happened here"?

 

[user 4386]

No probs. Sorry mate, I was just doing an edit and somehow managed to delete half the post. Link is still there though.

Bingo! This one's even better mate https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/400938

It's specifically Shallow Alluvial Sinkings

It reminds me too of something that I once read in one of Loamers posts. He said that when you often read that a particular nugget was found "shallow", that you should bear in mind that to the old timers "Shallow" was considered to be anywhere up to 8 or even 12 feet deep

Which of course is not much use to a metal detector. I suppose at any depth if the gold is deposited by alluvial means, including long-since buried ancient rivers, it could even possibly be hundreds of feet deep.

Shallow alluvial shaft sinking, trenching etc. The cut-off between shallow and deep was ultimately around 30 m on many goldfields (eg Ballarat, below which it was "deep sinking" or deep lead mining) - essentially the difference between sinking workings on shallow "leads" versus deep "leads". Therefore it could be shallower than 30 m and was determined by things like water, need for better winding gear, need for auxiliary drives etc for drainage and to keep workings open for increasing distances between shafts - deeper shafts meant they were further apart because of time, cost and labour considerations - and the need for syndicates and companies to raise the necessary capital.

 

[Deepseeker]

Thanks goldierocks, as always great information. I would never have bothered getting into this hobby without guys like you and Loamer explaining things. Much appreciated, thanks D.S erfect:

 

[Ship of fools]

Great history and information, thank you all.
Matt T

 

[mudgee hunter]

In layman's terms they are digging ancient river (old original creek/river path) bed up?
And not all ancient river beds involve punching through basalt/lead?
Can't basalt vary from 300m say to 100m deep.

 

[just starting]

Thanks for the explanation, Goldierocks.

I still have to physically go out and explore this place i read about ,but there is a long river bed with the area having colluvium ,diamicitie,gravel .silt etc.
The area is also described as having a history of pliocene to holocene , sheet flow , colluvial and is ranked as lithostratiggraphic .

These words are too big for me and i have no idea what they mean , but it sounds impressive.

Still researching this place and might go for a wander without any tools to see what is there.

Might be very shallow workings. No mines listed here at all so it will be interesting to see what i find .

Gotta mow a few acres around the ranch this weekend ,so we`ll see if i get time to have a look.

 

[Ward69]

Thanks for the explanation, Goldierocks.

I still have to physically go out and explore this place i read about ,but there is a long river bed with the area having colluvium ,diamicitie,gravel .silt etc.
The area is also described as having a history of pliocene to holocene , sheet flow , colluvial and is ranked as lithostratiggraphic .

These words are too big for me and i have no idea what they mean , but it sounds impressive.

Still researching this place and might go for a wander without any tools to see what is there.

Might be very shallow workings. No mines listed here at all so it will be interesting to see what i find .

Gotta mow a few acres around the ranch this weekend ,so we`ll see if i get time to have a look.

Foz. Better have all those jobs down , Im back next Friday. Really need a walk Saturday and Sunday next weekend. Save petrol buy a couple of lawn mowers.

 

[just starting]

The weather hasn`t been favourable of late and the ground is only now starting to dry out,so sorting the important jobs out while the going is good.

 

[Aussiedigs]

Foz, get some wiltshire sheep. They manicure the paddock. You dont have to shear them. They are totally self sufficient. We have 6 for out 5 acres. Notice over the fence. Foreground is our main yard. Ill introduce them to the foreground yard soon.

Leaves time for more important pastimes like detecting.

Also in this pic, over in amongst the trees in the background is huge alluvial workings.

 

[just starting]

Nah. I hate sheep . My neighbour used to have a hole cut in the fence so they could wander from his place to mine and i got sick of the dung in my boots, so i got his sheep off my place and repaired the fence. Then i tore down all of my inner fences after the bull i had kept deciding the fences were better down than up and now i just mow with a ride on. It is actually quite relaxing cutting grass for hours on end. Life is not all about prospecting for me. I juggle many things to keep it interesting.