The opening section documents the development of mining
technology on our territory from primeval to present times.
The tools of primeval man, medieval implements, relics of
first mining machines, models of mining equipment, large
panoramas of landscape with mining works, subjects related
to mining surveying and an extensive two-dimensional
documentation.
The following section of the exhibition is a Mechanized coal
and ore mine, a dummy of mines unique in their length (over
1 km) and in the way of realization that faithfully evokes
the environment of real mines to the visitors. It follows up
with the model of mine that was a part of exhibitions of the
National Technical Museum since 1912.
The current exhibition was opened in two underground floors
of the building (about 15 m under the surface) in the early
50s. It has an original outfit and more than 100 tons of
coal and tens of tons of ore were used in its construction.
The Museum maintains the original untouched equipment of the
mine and does not change it with its interventions. The
equipment of both mines was brought into the Museum in
a ready-to-use state.
The visitors' route enables to create an imagination not
only of a heavy job of miners but mainly of beginnings of
mining mechanization. With the professional explanation of
guides the visitors can see a shaft station with mining
locomotives and tubs, corridors with machines and tools for
mining minerals (among others drills, drilling carriages,
pneumatic hammers), transport of extracted material
(conveyers, loaders, mine cars, winches, etc.), mining phone
and signalling equipment, etc.
The section Raw materials contains minerals that have been
mined on our territory during the history. The exhibits
include auriferous ores, ores containing silver, lead,
copper, iron, etc., coal of various types, fossils, samples
of peat, etc.
After mining the raw materials should be further treated and
this fact is documented by a small section of ore
preparation where the basic principles of ore preparation
are explained. A large tub for tin ore separation is shown
here.
