> [[davis-da]]. Video. "Bronze Age Copper Mine | The Largest Mine of the Ancient World". > [YouTube](https://youtu.be/Iq-rWERq8U8) ## Description > This is the largest prehistoric copper mine. Uncovered in 1987 during a scheme to landscape an area of the Great Orme, the copper mines discovered represent one of the most astounding archaeological discoveries of recent times. Dating back 4,000 years to the Bronze Age they change our views about the ancient people of Britain and their civilized and structured society 2,000 years before the Roman invasion. Over the past 28 years mining engineers, cavers and archaeologists have been slowly uncovering more tunnels and large areas of the surface landscape to reveal what is now thought to be the largest prehistoric mine, so far discovered in the world. Over 5 miles (8.0 km) of prehistoric tunnels have been discovered. New discoveries are still being frequently made and it is estimated that less than half of the prehistoric tunnels have been discovered so far. Half a million items including axe heads, rapier swords and spears are thought to have been produced in 200 years from ore extracted from the Great Orme mine, north of Llandudno, which was discovered in 1987. ## Sources [[williams-r-veslud2019]] [[lewis-c1996]]