The cultivation of slate
Slate Cultivation Method: “Abandoned Chambers and Pillars”
The “abandoned chambers and pillars” cultivation method is an ancient technique, already practiced in classical times, as evidenced by the Latomie of Syracuse. This method consists in excavating only a part of the useful rock, creating “cultivation chambers”, and leaving the residual part as “abandoned pillars” to support the overlying rock layers. This approach, intuitive in some ways, had to be adapted to specific local conditions, which included:
Quality and resistance of the overlying rocks
Energy availability
Presence of natural fractures and infiltrated water
Agricultural needs
Local Adaptations
In Liguria, specific conditions such as the poor quality of the encasing rocks, the presence of many natural fractures and the need to protect agricultural land from debris, imposed a particular type of cultivation.
Ascending Cultivation
This method, known as ascending cultivation, proceeded from the “bed” of the slate layer (called “threshold”) upwards, up to the “roof” of the quarry. This system allowed:
Accumulate the infiltration water at the bottom, keeping the work surface dry.
Allow debris to fall on site, reducing the need for costly transportation.
Cut out and drop the heavy slate blocks onto the already placed debris, making subsequent work easier.
Merits and Difficulties
The application and development of the “sky” method are attributed to the quarrymen of Cogorno. This method, however ingenious, presented considerable difficulties:
Physical Risks: Workers faced the constant danger of being crushed by blocks of rock that could break off prematurely and unexpectedly.
Physical Discomfort: Working with your arms raised above your head was extremely tiring, a condition described with the term “giamin”, which in the peasant language means excessive fatigue and sacrificed and painful work.
The abandoned chamber and pillar method was an ingenious solution to the challenges of slate quarrying, adapting to local conditions and minimizing some of the risks associated with underground working. However, it remained an arduous and physically demanding task for the quarrymen, who had to deal with both the immediate dangers and the ongoing discomfort of the job.
Sources
Porcella M., “Gli uomini dell’ardesia”, in Centro di Documentazione della Civica Biblioteca di San Colombiano Certenoli (a c. di), “L’ardesia della Fontanabuona e le sculture di Pietro Burzi”, Chiavari, Grafica Piemme, 2017, collana “Quaderni del Lascito Cuneo”
Savioli L., “Tecniche di produzione e lavorazione”, in Mannoni T. (a c. di), “Ardesia. Materia, Cultura, Futuro”, Genova, Sagep Editrice, 1995
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