05-20-2015, 03:51 PM
Imperial Mines and Quarries in the Roman World: Organizational Aspects 27 BC-AD 235, specifically in section 7.1.1, it describes in detail how private companies, as in the case of Lutudarum, were established as owners of these mines.
If I am reading correctly, ownership, as in the case of Lutudarum, was given to persons within the locality as civilian operators for a fixed fee. And ownership could only be transferred to other Colunii. I suspect Lutudarum was already a mine prior to the Romans arrival and they captured this site during the British conquest. Given the names of the proprietors of Lutudarum that are found on the led pigs, it is most likely these local Colunii (I hope I am understanding this correctly) where actually foreigners, that must have establish themselves in the area.
In the same section of the book, the author describes the criminal activities that commonly occurred by both the operators of these mines and the the populations.
So can we not assume that that Roman military was their as enforcers of contracts and executors of the law, punishing criminals with harsh penalties? As other works have stated such as Anton Stone 2009. the mines provided great wealth for people in the area the Romans called Lutudarumn for 1000 years. So perhaps the empire had an interest in protecting these entrepreneurs or perhaps they were wealthy enough to pay for the protection themselves.
I am not as well versed in the discussions as most of you, so please excuse any ignorance I may have exposed.
If I am reading correctly, ownership, as in the case of Lutudarum, was given to persons within the locality as civilian operators for a fixed fee. And ownership could only be transferred to other Colunii. I suspect Lutudarum was already a mine prior to the Romans arrival and they captured this site during the British conquest. Given the names of the proprietors of Lutudarum that are found on the led pigs, it is most likely these local Colunii (I hope I am understanding this correctly) where actually foreigners, that must have establish themselves in the area.
In the same section of the book, the author describes the criminal activities that commonly occurred by both the operators of these mines and the the populations.
So can we not assume that that Roman military was their as enforcers of contracts and executors of the law, punishing criminals with harsh penalties? As other works have stated such as Anton Stone 2009. the mines provided great wealth for people in the area the Romans called Lutudarumn for 1000 years. So perhaps the empire had an interest in protecting these entrepreneurs or perhaps they were wealthy enough to pay for the protection themselves.
I am not as well versed in the discussions as most of you, so please excuse any ignorance I may have exposed.
