There´s gold in the mouth of the river, Foz do Cobrão/Sobral Fernando

How is gold made? Where does it appear? How is it exploited? In order to respond to all of these questions we suggest "There´s gold in the river mouth", a mining activity in the Ocreza River that reconstructs the old mining processes used by the region´s miners. Gold exploitation was conducted in the Ocreza River during a period which stems back to the Iron Age, and explains the few occurrences of gold mining remnants, of the more simple type, between Sobral Fernando and the Vale da Ursa bridge. The vast gold mining area of Sobral Fernando-Foz do Cobrao was certainly exploited during the Roman period, and some remnants of the techniques employed still exist. But the gold mining on the river continued almost through current times, by "gandaieros" groups of professionals who dedicated themselves to the gold in the alluvium here and on the Tejo River. Some of these former professionals can still be found in the village of Foz do Cobrao. The exploitation techniques used by these professionals, taking into account the empirical knowledge of fluvial hydrodynamics, provides pure gold that does not require any type of treatment to separate it from other materials.

Lavagem do sedimento na bacia

Lavagem de sedimentos na caixa

Sedimento lavado

Pepita de ouro

Pepitas de ouro da Foz de Cobrão, à lupa

Centro de Ciência Viva da Floresta

Actividade de garimpo – "Há Ouro na Foz"