Since the early stages in the development of human kind, caves were used as mines to extract minerals impossible to find at the surface. Later, mining activities, digging galleries underground, allowed to reach a peculiar type of natural cavities, the so called "mine caves", that would otherwise be impossible to explore and study.

These cavities, which are particularly widespread within carbonate formations, were known since the antiquity but they started to be studied only very recently.

Mine caves have shown to be extremely important in several research fields: from speleogenesis to cave mineralogy, from history of mining activities to cave tourism, just to cite the most important ones. A first Symposium on mine caves was held in Iglesias in 2004 giving a strong impulse to the research, which flourished in the following years not only in Italy but also in many Countries abroad. For these reasons the Sardinian Speleological Federation and the Italian Institute of Speleology, in partnership with Sardinian Government – Department for Environment, Carbonia-Iglesias Province, Municipality of Iglesias and with the active presence of the Sardinian Geomining and Historical Environmental Park, have organized the Second International Symposium on Mine Caves to discuss the latest achieved results in this field all around the World.

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR DOCUMENTATION AND RESEARCH ON MINE CAVES

The Second International Symposium on Mine Caves offers the opportunity to inaugurate and present the International Centre for Documentation and Research on Mine Caves (CIDRGM), housed in the premises of the Director Office of San Giovanni Mine, Iglesias.

The Sardinian Government, recognizing the high scientific and cultural value of the Mine Caves as geological and speleological heritage, worthy of protection and enhancement, with the Regional Law 7 August 2007, n. 4 "Rules for the protection of the cave heritage of the karst areas and for the development of speleology", has established the International Centre for Documentation and Research on Mine Caves, with the aim to promote, in collaboration with research institutions, caving associations, Italian and foreign Universities, interdisciplinary studies and research on these cavities.

The International Centre for Documentation and Research on Mine Caves, is established and fully funded by the Sardinian Government, and its management is entrusted to the Sardinian Speleological Federation (FSS).

The FSS has therefore set up a network of international relationships with the key players involved in the matter.

The material at the Centre currently consists of a collection of about 50 mine maps, about 20 book volumes and a substantial number of studies and documentation related to mining activities.

In addition, the still available publications of the Sardinian Mining Association (AMS) were also acquired together with the historical maps in scale 1:10.000 produced by AMS.

The material and documentation are constantly being implemented and updated.