Chronology of the slate industry: from the Roman Empire to the present
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/egeol.45651.1120Keywords:
Roofing slate, Slate extraction, Industry, HistoryAbstract
The generic name of roofing slate is used to describe a series of metamorphic rocks whose main characteristic is that they can be cleaved into thin, flat plates, ideal for use as roof coverings. The construction possibilities of these rocks have meant that they have been used since prehistoric times, although the oldest documented evidence dates back to the Roman Empire. Over the centuries, the slate industry shaped and defined the extraction regions. In Europe, the use of these rocks was of great importance from the Middle Ages to the mid-twentieth century in countries such as France, the United Kingdom and Germany. The centuries-old exploitation of the Central European deposits led to their progressive depletion. In the mid-1960s, the deposits in northwestern Spain burst onto the world market, monopolizing it. The production process for roofing slate has been incorporating the technological advances in the extraction of ornamental rock in recent centuries, although it remains relatively simple. Roofing slate is extracted from the rock mass, exfoliated and cut according to predefined formats, and is then ready for use without further modifications. This paper reviews the chronology of this material worldwide. It also defines the characteristics of the different types of roofing slate, as well as its current extraction areas and production process, detailing the applied aspects of teaching this industry in secondary education.
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