Silver and copper mines on the Tsilma river: myth or reality?

The results of the search for evidence of copper and silver ore mining in the XV - XVII centuries on the Tsil’ma river (Ust’-Tsil’ma region of the Komi Republic, Russia) and the substantiation for inclusion of the «Silver and Copper Mines» (5 pits) archaeological site (Mines) in the Uni ed State Register of Cultural Heritage Objects (historical and cultural monuments) of the peoples of the Russian Federation (Register), are published.The authors analyzed normative documentation, narrative records; studied the results of regional historical, archaeological and geological research; conducted an archaeological exploration in the valley of the Tsil’ma River.It was determined that all ideas of the Mines correspond to four models: ideological, folklore, scienti c and protective. The paper focuses on the development of scienti c and «protective» models.It is established that the state protection of the mines was not the result of archaeological eld-work, but was based on the data of written sources and their free interpretation by historian N.M. Karamzin, who created an ideological model, on which basis distorted scienti c ideas were later formed.All available information about Mines includes reliable information about search attempts and nding of copper and silver ore occurrences on the Tsil’ma river and uncon rmed yet unproven data on systematic and long-term extraction of non-ferrous metals in this region. However, copper mining is probable locally and in small amounts for the needs of the Old Believers.Thus, information about the extraction of non-ferrous metals at a scale essential for the state is a myth that people need to demonstrate the exclusivity and signi cance of their birthplace and motherland. The lack of evidence of the functioning of mines and the signs of cultural heritage objects documenting this type of site allows us to assert that the inclusion of the «Silver and Copper Mines» (5 pits) archaeological site in the Register is unreasonable.