Cameron HARTNELL
Historic mining regions typically feature a plethora of mine sites whose interactions with the landscape differ according to unique characteristics of the ore body, environment, mining strategy and scale of investment. This paper describes recent work by the research group LASHIPA on the mineral region of high-Arctic Spitsbergen, particularly on the Arctic Coal Company, as a model for examining other mining regions around the world. Perspectives breaking away from functional analytical approaches to industrial history are given. Since a number of mine remains on Spitsbergen have significance as actors in the political struggle over the archipelago, it is imperative that researchers look beyond a facilities’ practical use. It is also important to look beyond superlatives when considering historical significance. Using Actor Network Theory, two contemporary operations are shown to have very different importance in the evolution of a mature mining region.
Located on the high-Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen, Norway, the Arctic Coal Company was neither the first coal mining operation nor a large modern facility. Working from 1905-1916, the Arctic Coal Company helped to promote the development of the region despite its ultimate financial failure.