Experts from various disciplines have come together to study, document and promote León’s Roman mining heritage.
Principal Researcher of the project
Geologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of León, specialising in Roman gold mining, geomorphology and geological and mining heritage.
His research combines fieldwork with the use of advanced geomatics technologies, such as LiDAR, photogrammetry and drones, for the analysis, documentation and reconstruction of the historical landscape. He has led numerous research projects on ancient mining and cultural landscapes, with a particular focus on Las Médulas and the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula.
Researcher
Archaeologist and heritage specialist at the León Institute of Culture (León Provincial Council).
A specialist in pre-Roman and Roman settlements in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula, he has carried out extensive research and management work on León’s archaeological heritage. His work focuses on the study of castros, the occupation of the territory in antiquity, and the relationship between ancient communities, mining and the cultural landscape, utilising advanced geomatics technologies such as LiDAR, photogrammetry and drones for the analysis, documentation and reconstruction of the historical landscape. He has led numerous research projects on ancient mining and the cultural landscape, with a particular focus on Las Médulas and the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula.
Researcher
Geographer and Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of Salamanca.
He is one of Spain’s leading authorities on human geography, territorial development and landscape analysis. His research career has focused on the study of changes in the rural environment, spatial planning, cultural heritage and the relationship between society and landscape, incorporating a humanistic perspective that links the natural, historical and cultural values of the territory.
Researcher
A classical archaeologist and lecturer in Roman Archaeology at the University of California, Berkeley (formerly a lecturer at Texas Tech University).
Specialising in the archaeology of the Iron Age and the Roman world, her research focuses on the social, economic and environmental impact of Roman mining on the Iberian Peninsula and on the interaction between local communities, the landscape and the exploitation of natural resources. She has carried out extensive fieldwork in Spain, Portugal and Sardinia and is an international authority on the study of Roman mining landscapes and local responses to the expansion of the Roman Empire and its subsequent evolution during the Visigothic period.
Researcher
An archaeologist and historian, she holds a PhD from the University of León.
Her research focuses on Roman and late antique archaeology, the study of political and cultural identities in antiquity, the historical landscape and archaeological heritage. She has carried out research on the occupation and transformation of the territory in Hispania, landscape archaeology, the Roman military world and the dissemination of heritage, integrating the analysis of archaeological and documentary sources to reconstruct historical processes.
Researcher
French archaeologist and historian, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toulouse–Jean Jaurès and a member of the TRACES laboratory (UMR 5608).
He is regarded as the leading international authority on Roman-era mining archaeology. His research has focused on ancient mining and metallurgy, the economic organisation of mineral resource exploitation and Roman extraction techniques, with a particular focus on the Iberian Peninsula. His pioneering work on the gold mines of north-western Hispania, particularly in León and Las Médulas, is an essential reference for the study of Roman mining and has influenced several generations of researchers.
Researcher
Geomorphologist and lecturer at the University of Toulouse–Le Mirail (now the University of Toulouse–Jean Jaurès), specialising in fluvial geomorphology, gold-bearing alluvial deposits and landscape evolution.
His research has focused on the genesis of detrital gold deposits and the geomorphological reconstruction of landscapes transformed by Roman mining. Together with Claude Domergue, he developed an interdisciplinary methodology that integrated geomorphology and archaeology for the study of the major mining districts of the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula, establishing a benchmark model for the analysis of ancient mining landscapes.
Researcher
University Professor in the Department of Cartographic Engineering, Geodesy and Photogrammetry at the University of León.
Founding member of GEOINCA (2009) – a Consolidated Research Unit since 2019 and a technology transfer group at the University of León since 2026 – and of NetOPS. He has completed four six-year research periods and one technology transfer period. Over the last decade, he has collaborated on seven competitive national and European projects, supervised dozens of final-year projects and six doctoral theses (two of which received international recognition), and published more than 50 articles in international journals. His research focuses on remote sensing and optical radiometry.
Researcher
Mining Engineer and Senior Lecturer at the University of León,
specialising in geomatics, photogrammetry and remote sensing applied to engineering, agriculture, the environment and heritage.
He has over 30 high-impact publications to his name, has completed three six-year research cycles and has been involved in more than 50 projects and contracts. He has developed patents, software and solutions for businesses and public bodies. He heads GEOINCA and a Consolidated Research Unit. He has international experience, as well as experience in teaching, supervising theses, educational innovation and scientific outreach.
Researcher
A forestry engineer and pre-doctoral researcher at the University of León, specialising in remote sensing, photogrammetry and geographic information systems applied to the natural environment, mining and heritage.
He studies historic mining landscapes using drone-borne sensors, ground-based receivers and machine learning. His thesis focuses on the documentation, mapping, characterisation and assessment of the state of conservation of the hydraulic network of the Roman gold mines in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula.