Sado Island the Gold And Silver Mines in Japan. World Culture Heritage 2024

This paper analyses the work that, in these last 10 years (2014-2024) we realized with the scientific staff of Niitaga’s Prefecture, World Heritage Inscription Promotion Office Cultural Administration Division Niigata Prefectural Board of Education. Since the XIV century, Sado Island has been famous for its gold and silver mines. The paper intends to analyze three particular aspects of the Japanese island and to illustrate the main activities of the research: urban archeology, industrial archeology, and archeology of the natural landscape. All the mines were closed permanently in 1989 and the present project aims to valorize the mines, the natural landscape, the villages of the miners, and their productive activities for a correct understanding and knowledgeable use of the territory.