El último malacate de la Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión (Región Murcia, España)

Abstract

During mineral extraction processes of indoor mining it was necessary to improve support systems that allowed the access and leaving of both, personnel and minerals, through the underground mine shafts. Along time, these systems evolved drawing a characteristic landscape in the mining sites, such as the Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión (Region of Murcia, Spain), where nowadays is possible to recognise evidences of that splendour period. Between all this mining heritage is possible to find the last mechanical system moved by animals. This device (mining winch) had been included on the Catalogue of Protected Goods of the City Council of La Unión in the section “Mining Machinery” with reference MM-02. In addition, it had been declared a property of Cultural Interest in 2018 (BORM July 31, 2018) as a “movable property”. The research and documentation of this mining winch has been carried out in the subject of Industrial and Mining Heritage scheduled on the Master program of Architectural Heritage of the Technical University of Cartagena (2017-2018 academic year). Due to the fact of its declaration as property of Cultural Interest as well as the bad state of conservation that it presents, both reasons has motivated the City Council to preserve it, by integrating it into the new project of Mining Museum of La Unión (currently under construction).