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mininghistory.bsky.social
Duncan Money
@mininghistory.bsky.social
7.2K followers 600 following 1.6K posts
Historian and consultant. I work on mining, labour, migration and Southern Africa.
More on https://duncan.money
Contact: [email protected]
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Duncan Money
nichecanada.bsky.social
Today we have "On Drought, Dowsing, and Deep Drilling: Thinking About Groundwater History in an Age of Climate Emergency" by @forrestpass.bsky.social

“When European settlers arrived in the region in the nineteenth century, they found the groundwater perplexing.”

niche-canada.org/2025/11/28/o...
On Drought, Dowsing, and Deep Drilling: Thinking About Groundwater History in an Age of Climate Emergency
Canada’s 2025 drought exposed groundwater precarity; in the past, Ottawa Valley settlers adapted to this precarity through dowsing, augers, and evolving well technologies.
niche-canada.org
November 28, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Reposted by Duncan Money
eastasiascitech.bsky.social
Looking for a holiday gift for that special someone? 🎁 @uchicagopress.bsky.social is having a 30% off sitewide sale, and my book, CARBON TECHNOCRACY, is now available for $19.25 with the promo code HOLIDAY25. press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...

#histstm #histsci #histtech #envhist 🧪
Carbon Technocracy
A forceful reckoning with the relationship between energy and power through the history of what was once East Asia’s largest coal mine. The coal-mining town of Fushun in China’s Northeast is home to a...
press.uchicago.edu
November 28, 2025 at 2:44 PM
mininghistory.bsky.social
The mining company Union Minière moved their registered headquarters from Congo to Belgium 13 days before Congolese independence so that the company's assets would out of reach of the new government.
Paragraph from a book. Text reads: "Only a few days prior to the granting of independence, the Belgian Government (very probably at UMHK's own instigation) introduced legislation by which companies operating in the Congo were granted permission to transfer their registered headquarters (siège social) to Belgium. By taking advantage of this, UMHK was able at the last moment to change its domicile to its former, 1931registered address at 6 rue Montagne du Parc, Brussels and to remove a sub-stantial part of its assets out of the reach of Congolese jurisdiction. At the same time UMHK declared that it had deleted Haut-Katanga (Upper-Katanga) from its name and reorganised itself as a Brussels-based listed company Union Minière, Société Anonyme Belge (UM, altered in 2001 to its present name, Umicore).3"
November 28, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
katrinanavickas.bsky.social
New publication by Grace Simpson, who is fab
@sslh.bsky.social #labourhistory
Advance About Us Subjects Browse Products Request a trial Librarian Resources Wha Home > Humanities > History > Social & Cultural History Embodied Labour > Brutally forcing them to work safely Chapter Brutally forcing them to work safely EMBODIED LABOUR A vignette of occupational health and safety at a Polish hard coal mine in the 1960s ƏR By Grace Simpson Book Embodied Labour Edition 1 st Edition First Published 2025 Imprint Routledge Share Pages ABSTRACT
November 27, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Reposted by Duncan Money
jessicamdewitt.bsky.social
-> @nichecanada.bsky.social has published 257 posts in 2025 alone. A the vast majority of those posts are full-length blog posts, articles really.

Do you know another history or environmental blog publishing at that rate?

We deserve your support: fundrazr.com/niche2025?re...

#envhist #envhum
November 26, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Reposted by Duncan Money
drolibetts.bsky.social
Please enjoy this project we've been working on with the lovely team at Google Arts and Culture:

artsandculture.google.com/project/nati...

Its so exciting to make so much of our collection accessible this anniversary year for the railways from models and artwork to tools and vehicles!
National Railway Museum - Google Arts & Culture
Journey through the untold story of the railways
artsandculture.google.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:58 AM
mininghistory.bsky.social
Another insight from this book: mining companies prefer to employ South Africans as expat workers because they are cheaper
Page from a book. Text reads: "Cost reduction is probably the most important reason for increasingly prioritizing residential South Africans over FIFOs from Australia and other countries. One manager explained it to me as follows: Australians are expensive because you have to fly them from Oz [to Zambia]. So over time, it's changed a bit because there's lot more guys available from South Africa and they are cheaper. Doesn't sound good, but they are a lot cheaper to employ, South Africans than Australians. So over time, there is quite a lot South Africans that are working here, a lot more than in the past. It's a cost thing. And it's easy. In and out. ... If you have a FIFO from Australia, it's ten weeks on, three weeks off. So every ten weeks, the guys go out for three weeks. It's disruptive. Whereas a lot of South Africans are residential. They are used to Africa. They like staying here. So it's much easier to work with guys that are residential. He continued: Our expat wages are lower than Lumwana [a mine further west owned by Barrick Gold]. A lot lower than what you get in Congo. But we've got the Golf Estate and that keeps the guys here. So it's a small price to pay that benefit. In this statement, the second reason - continuity - is hinted at. Unlike other mines in Zambia, such as the Chinese state-owned Chambishi Mine, Kansanshi's plant has grown quickly and was continuously expanded over the years since its redevelopment. As a result, professionals' knowledge and expertise becomes difficult to replace. As the manager explained it to me:"
November 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Reposted by Duncan Money
bluetit24.bsky.social
Thank you @scarcerc.bsky.social and @mininghistory.bsky.social for a very interesting talk.

Mining past and present is very important, and have a huge impact on all our lives.

#mining #history #environment
scarcerc.bsky.social Scarcerc @scarcerc.bsky.social · 6d
🚨Join us this monday for the second talk in this semester’s colloquium series. @mininghistory.bsky.social presents:
“Mining the Past: What is the role of historians in the mining industry?”

📅 Nov 24, 2025
⏰ 3:00–4:30 PM CET

Haven’t registered yet? There’s still time: bit.ly/MiningThePast
#histSci
Mining the Past: What is the role of historians in the mining industry?
SCARCE Colloquium Speaker: Duncan Money (Independent scholar) University of Vienna Online Event
bit.ly
November 27, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
rachelking.bsky.social
It’s historical archaeology! Its heritage! It came out 24 hours before my first child! Not my most recent book but maybe my most obscure (and beloved) for the above reasons

Unformatted open access version on my UCL Profiles page
The cover of a book entitled ‘Outlaws, Anxiety, and Disorder: Material Histories of the Maloti-Drakensberg’ by Rachel King
November 27, 2025 at 7:13 AM
mininghistory.bsky.social
Saddened to belatedly learn of the death of Alistair Tough, who began his career as the first archivist at Nchanga Consolidated Copper Mines.

We never met but we corresponded and he kindly shared details about Zambia's mining archives, what went missing and why.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Alistair George Tough (1953–2024)
Published in Archives and Records: The Journal of the Archives and Records Association (Vol. 45, No. 3, 2024)
www.tandfonline.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:11 PM
mininghistory.bsky.social
Anglo American ran their mines in South Africa with migrant workers recruited from hundreds of miles away, but trying to do the same thing in the UK is causing some tensions:

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
Bosses criticised after axing British miners while hiring workers from Belarus
Bosses at the Woodsmith Mine project in north Yorkshire - which is trying to gain access to the world's largest known deposit of polyhalite fertiliser - have cut jobs at the site while hiring workers ...
www.mirror.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 12:33 PM
mininghistory.bsky.social
Another positive review of our book 'Born with a Copper Spoon' in the journal Technology & Culture, arguing the book is:

"a provocative intervention into commodity and global history and a significant contribution to mining history"

muse.jhu.edu/article/971331
Project MUSE - <i>Born with a Copper Spoon: A Global History of Copper, 1830–1980</i> ed. by Robrecht Declercq, Duncan Money, and Hans Otto Froland (review)
muse.jhu.edu
November 26, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
worsted.bsky.social
Useful archival cataloguing term found
Extract from typed document with title 'Main Comments on Bungle of Documents' It continues by listing the contents of the Bungle.
November 25, 2025 at 3:15 PM
mininghistory.bsky.social
There's a good article on maps in pre-modern Japan that's relevant for African history on this point about boundaries:

"Many of our conventional mapping practices are ill-suited to the complexities and nuances of pre-modern politics"

culturalanalytics.org/article/8486...
November 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
mininghistory.bsky.social
Fascinating insight into the trading division of First Quantum Minerals - one of the biggest mining companies in Zambia - in @ritakesselring.bsky.social's book.

Switzerland is a regulatory regime not a physical place for such companies.
Paragraph of text on a white background. "For FQM Trading AG's trading arrangements, Switzerland is not important as a physical place. The copper it buys and sells does not reach the country. Its traders are not working on the shores of Lake Zug; perhaps not even the profits are storedin Swiss banks. 'Switzerland' is a regulatory regime to which FQM Trading AG rents access by paying the minimal fee of Zug's taxes. This virtual Switzerland of course intersects with the physical place. Many other trading companies have a much larger physical footprint in Switzerland, but for all of them, access to the Swiss regulatory regime is a primary asset.10
November 25, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
amaliasl.bsky.social
"Ongoing digitization and cataloging work not only serves the interests of scholars and manuscript communities—it also creates crucial, publicly-accessible provenance records that provide an increasingly robust bulwark against manuscript theft and trafficking."
hmml.org/stories/reve...
Reversal of Fates: Access Through Photographs can be a Counterbalance
“Cultural losses continue to beset communities around the world, especially in areas subject to armed conflict...”
hmml.org
November 24, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
scarcerc.bsky.social
Thank you to everyone who joined today’s talk! 🙌
@mininghistory.bsky.social’s insights on historians’ role in the mining industry sparked amazing discussions💡⛏️
Stay tuned for more events! 📚

#histSc
November 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
mininghistory.bsky.social
Odd statement from Ramaphosa about no longer relying on extracting minerals only. South Africa began processing minerals "at the point of extraction" over a century ago.
Screenshot from an article showing two paragraphs of text. Text reads: ""We are signing an unprecedented agreement," Ramaphosa said at a news conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, after Ramaphosa's mines minister Gwede Mantashe signed the memorandum of understanding. "We are no longer going to rely on extracting minerals only. We will want to extract those minerals, have them processed at the point of extraction ... so that South Africa begins to move up the value chain," Ramaphosa said."
November 24, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
The Royal Historical Society has published a very helpful guide to its various membership categories, including the Fellowship. If you're engaged in History study, research or teaching (including in public history, journalism & GLAM) & keen to support the discipline, do have a look. #Skystorians
Joining the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society: a brief guide if you’re considering an application | Historical Transactions
blog.royalhistsoc.org
November 24, 2025 at 10:07 AM
mininghistory.bsky.social
Final chance to sign up to attend my talk "Mining the Past: What is the role of historians in the mining industry?"

Happening today at 3pm Central European Time:

univienna.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: SCARCE Colloquium: Duncan Money . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Duncan Money (Independent scholar) "Mining the Past: What is the role of historians in the mining industry?" Mining is an unusual industry. It is site-specific and has a fixed nature, you cannot jus...
univienna.zoom.us
November 24, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
evansmithhist.bsky.social
Historians of South Africa, is there an accessible electronic database of legislation passed during Union of South Africa period? Trying to get exact wording of some Acts from 1910s to 1930s.
November 24, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
delalibessa.bsky.social
I'm in this week's issue of @thecontinent.org with some reporting from Tarkwa, among others.

The Goldbod is making its mark but until we get rigorous traceability, there will be questions about the environmental price we pay for its economic gains. Full issue here: www.thecontinent.org
The Continent | Africa
The Continent is an award-winning African newspaper, designed to be read and shared on WhatsApp.
www.thecontinent.org
November 22, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Reposted by Duncan Money
thecontinent.org
All Protocol Observed

Welcome to Issue 221 of The Continent

Nigeria’s security crisis deepens: 26 girls abducted in Kebbi State, more kidnappings elsewhere, and a top general killed — symptoms of a long-running, underfunded, corruption-riddled breakdown.

More inside: bit.ly/221_TC
The cover of The Continent features a powerful, unsettling political cartoon. It shows a giant, damaged statue of a Nigerian military general. The statue is cracked, stained with blood, and full of bullet holes, symbolising the collapse of state security. The general’s head is missing, and someone has placed a bright purple-and-yellow traditional cap on top of the neck stump. The statue’s right arm is raised in a salute. Hanging from that arm is the body of a person who has been lynched. On the statue’s shoulder sits a small man — his posture slumped, arms around his knees, head bowed. The base of the statue carries an inscription: “ARMED FORCES OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.” All around the monument is violent chaos. The ground is littered with broken stone pieces from the statue, bones, papers, and bodies. Blood splatters cover the ground and parts of the monument. To the left, a masked man swings a bloodied machete at people who are cowering on the ground. On the right, armed men point rifles at terrified civilians; one person is shown attempting to flee. Near the bottom-right corner, two well-dressed men — one in ceremonial military dress, the other in a suit — exchange a briefcase, suggesting corruption even amid widespread violence. The statue’s broken head lies beside them, cracked and discarded. The headline reads: “Nigeria’s security is in shambles.” The illustration is by Gado.
November 21, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Reposted by Duncan Money
scarcerc.bsky.social
🚨Join us this monday for the second talk in this semester’s colloquium series. @mininghistory.bsky.social presents:
“Mining the Past: What is the role of historians in the mining industry?”

📅 Nov 24, 2025
⏰ 3:00–4:30 PM CET

Haven’t registered yet? There’s still time: bit.ly/MiningThePast
#histSci
Mining the Past: What is the role of historians in the mining industry?
SCARCE Colloquium Speaker: Duncan Money (Independent scholar) University of Vienna Online Event
bit.ly
November 22, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Reposted by Duncan Money
industriall-union.org
A tragic bridge collapse 🏗️ at the Kalando mine ⛏️ in the DRC 🇨🇩 has claimed at least 50 lives 🕯️ and left many injured 🚑. This heartbreaking event 😔 underscores the urgent need for safer conditions ⚠️ for artisanal miners.
At least 50 miners killed in Congo bridge collapse; unions demand action
The tragic bridge collapse at the Kalando artisanal copper and cobalt mine in Mulondo, Lualaba province, on 15November 2025, which claimed at least 50 lives and left dozens injured or missing, is a he...
www.industriall-union.org
November 21, 2025 at 8:05 AM