Mining museum in Roșia Montană
Taking into consideration the current preservation status of archaeological vestiges and the results of the researches conducted between 2000 and 2006, a mining museum is absolutely necessary to capitalize on the area’s tourism potential. The proposed museum will include:
- Documentary exhibitions focused on three major topics: geology, archaeology and history-ethnography;
- Outdoor exhibitions including elements of ethnography and industrial heritage;
- Underground exhibitions including Cătălina-Monuleşti gallery (which shows traces of mining operations from all historical ages, from ancient to contemporary times), complemented by 1:1 scale replicas, in the manner of mining tourist attractions elsewhere in Europe, of the most important ancient mining structures identified in other massifs in the Roşia Montană area;
- In situ preservation of archaeological vestiges and their integration in a cultural tourism circuit.
In addition to these immobile archaeological assets, there are also more than 10,000 artifacts discovered since 2000 and until 2006, which have been restored or are in the process of restoration. Furthermore, part of them have subject of publication in specialized papers. All these mobile heritage assets have a great potential for display in the future mining museum at Roşia Montană.
Eventually, there are also other peripheral areas within the site, situated outside the impact perimeter of the mining project, such as the Eastern slope of Cârnicului - Piatra Corbului and Păru Carpeni sectors, which would be equally suitable for public access. In this category we include -- in the Piatra Corbului sector -- Roman exploitation sites dug with fire, impressive through their large sizes, but whose position in the immediate neighborhood of the future quarry must be taken into consideration with a view to taking proper protection measures.
All of these archaeological heritage assets add to those existing already in the current Mining Museum situated inside the former exploitation RosiaMin. RMGC will initiate consultations with RosiaMin, the owners of the existing museum, and the Ministry of Culture and Religious Denominations, so as to allow the relocation of the mobile heritage assets from the museum in the Protected Area. The members of a group for cultural heritage will handle the transfer and storage of these objects, following the decisions regarding a proper site for reconstruction, preservation and public valuation. The funds to create a new Mining Museum and preserve in situ a number of archaeological vestiges with a view to their integration in a cultural tourism circuit will be made available by RMGC, within the context of the implementation of the Roşia Montană mining project.