INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME

Welcome to the webpage of the Project dedicated to the Roman mining of lapis specularis called “A Hundred Thousand Steps Around Segóbriga”.

Here you will find information about the mining of lapis specularis in the ancient Roman Empire and about the systematic research being undertaken on the lapis specularis mines situated in Castilla la Mancha.

Lapis specularis, known today in Spanish as “espejuelo”, “espejillo”, “reluz”, etc., is a selenic gypsum that was exploited by the Romans as a strategic mineral in Hispania around the I and II centuries AD.

Its geographical distribution fits the description made by the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (Caius Plinius Secundus), who mentions that the mining of this mineral took place “a hundred thousand steps around the city of Segobriga”, referring to an area of approximately some 150 kilometres around the Roman city. The quote has been made both the name and the motto of the Project.

The Project Team is made up of professionals from the fields of Archaeology, History, Geology, Mine Engineering, Information Systems, the Visual Arts and other disciplines, which guarantees an interdisciplinary approach to the research on the lapis specularis mines.

The coming together of a group, which is mixed both as regards scientific disciplines and as to the tasks assigned to the members of the Project, led to the foundation of a cultural association named “Lapis Specularis”, designed to bring together and to optimize the efforts of the whole group within a common framework.

The Project and the Project Team are divided into four basic working sections: Archaeology, Geology, Mine Engineering and Exploration/Topography. These sections are complemented with the development of the other working areas such as Photography, Information Systems, etc. of the other members of the group.

At the same time, local cultural associations in the municipalities where the mines are to be found collaborate with the project whenever the project works in their area. As do other individuals who collaborate as volunteers.

We understand that for a group dedicated to research it is a logical and necessary obligation to inform the general public of our findings, since it is the citizens who are the ultimate trustees of the cultural heritage uncovered by our work.

New technologies allow us to create easily accessible dialogue and information channels as modern as is the Internet itself. We will try, therefore, to make this webpage a useful site for the interchange of information about the Roman mining of lapis specularis both for frequent and for occasional visitors. We hope you will find it so.

Thank you for visiting us and, again, welcome.