Georgius Agricola is considered the founder of geology. Born in
Saxony, Agricola studied classics at Leipzig University, taught
Latin and Greek, and, in 1522, began to study medicine. He
became a practicing doctor in 1527 at Joachimsthal, a center of
silver mining. Agricola’s geological writings reflect an immense
amount of study and first-hand observation, not just of rocks
and minerals, but of every aspect of mining technology and
practice. His greatest work, De Re Metallica, means “On the
Nature of Metals,” but the word metal includes any mineral. In
this book, which remained the standard text on mining for two
centuries, Agricola reviewed everything known about mining,
including ores and strata, equipment and machinery, means of
finding ores — he rejected the use of divining-rods and other
magical means — methods of surveying and digging, assaying ores,
smelting, mine administration, and occupational diseases of
miners. Agricola made fundamental contributions to mining
geology and metallurgy, mineralogy,