The mining concessions and the study of the territory (1869-1944)

Abstract

This work pretends to value the files of mining concessions as a historical source of planimetric information for territorial studies. To do so, first we will briefly present the mining law of 1869 that give us a vision of the mining activity during its more than its 70 years and also to the content of the files of mining concessions. In the second place it examines with more detail demarcation maps that integrate these files, thirdly tries to contextualize the value of these maps for all Catalan territory in that moment in history. Finally presents the Peguera study case, an small ancient urban area in north Berguedà region as a example to end with some conclusions.

Key words: cartography, mine, coal, Berguedà