Core samples from Rio Tinto are believed to be similar to those of Mars' subsurface and also the biological context has been related to the search for sulfur-based life in space. When NASA began their search for life on Mars, they also looked to Rio Tinto and the large number of microbes living there in the acidic conditions. The extreme environment is believed to be partly due to mining pollution, but also because of "the presence of chemolithotrophic organisms, such as iron-oxidizing bacteria and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria". Rio Tinto joined the Endurance Crater and the White Sands as locations of interest to Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia in their search for areas similar to life on early earth - 3.5 to 4 billion years ago, due to its chemistry and mineralogy of the environment.
" This description, along with the prevalence and types of minerals in the area, probably brought Rio Tinto into the view of NASA and others interested in astrobiology as well. It is also a site for tourists, who visit the area to witness the beauty of the landscape, which has been described as a "surreal, almost lunar landscape.
Rio Tinto has not only caught the attention of miner's however.
They also left behind 16 million tons of rubble, which can still be seen today. The Roman miners are believed to have extracted more than two million tons of silver ore from Rio Tinto. It is said that the silver mined there paid all of the wages of the Roman Empire's soldiers and provided the funds necessary for Emperor Claudius' invasion of Britain in 43 AD. Nevertheless, the Romans are the most well-known culture to have benefitted from the mining of Rio Tinto. Therefore, the Tartessos were followed by the Phoenicians (2800 - 2600 BC), Greeks (2600 - 2000 BC), Romans (2000 - 1800 BC), Visigoths (1600 - 1300 BC), and Moors (1300 - 500 BC) in mining the variety of ore found at the site of Rio Tinto. This richness in minerals helped subsequent cultures to greatly increase their financial wealth over the years. The Tartessos/Tartessians, a culture from the semi-mythical wealthy Tartessos harbor city (believed to be Huelva), are thought to have been the first to mine the site.īronze Age artifacts, Rio Tinto area, Huelva, Spain ( Museo Minero de Riotinto )Īs Rio Tinto is part of the Iberian Pyrite Belt, the area has been found to be rich in copper, tin and lead in large quantities, silver and gold in plenty, and even iron to a lesser extent. The Early Bronze Age inhabitants of Rio Tinto took advantage of the abundant supply of copper in the area. Archaeologists have found artifacts in the area which suggest that Rio Tinto has been exploited for mining since the Chalcolithic or Copper Age (Early Bronze Age) 3000 BC. The Rio Tinto mine is named after the river it is located on in Huelva, Andalucía, Spain. Reportedly one of the oldest mines in the world, with evidence of the first mining taking place in 3000 BC, Rio Tinto mine has also been a useful site for astrobiology researchers. The Rio Tinto mine in Spain is set to re-open after being closed in 2001 due to declines in production, EMED Mining announced to Australian Mining.