Volunteer work in the International Gold Prospector Museum

Gold Museum and Gold Village

Map: http://www.kultamuseo.fi/museo/pages/en/information.php?lang=EN

http://www.tankavaara.fi/goldvillage/pages/intro.php

International Gold Prospector Museum

The International Gold Prospector Museum was founded in 1973 with the main aim to preserve the Gold History of Finland. The Museum cooperates with the National Board of Antiquities, Metsähallitus (Natural Heritage Services) and the University of Oulu.

Here visitors have the chance to discover the gold prospecting history of Lapland and the history of gold in many countries, in the international section (Golden World). In this international area is present over twenty countries all over the world and visitors can observe the biggest aluvial gold nugget in the world, in Australia´s section. Also, visitors can prospect their own gold (in summertime it is done in outside area and in winter time inside of the museum).

Curiosities:

Did you know? The biggest nugget found by a tourist is the size of a pingpong ball and it was found by a 11 years old boy.

Besides the International Gold Prospector Museum, Tankavaara offers to its visitors:

Gem and mineral exhibition: Härkäselän Kultala

In this building, originally built in 1924 by the legendary gold mining company – Lapin Kulta Oy and transferred to Tankavaara in 1970s, is separated of the Gold Museum. Here are displayed an huge collection of gems and minerals from many countries and from Finland too.

Auraria

In this outdoor area, which belongs to the section of Golden World, visitors can see a collection of scale model replicas of buildings from gold rush centres around the world. Nowadays, many of these buildings can only be seen in Auraria area.

Grand Gold Rush Opera, a copy of the building in Dawson City, Canada (left); Nugget restaurant (right).

Columbia Gazete Office, a copy of the building in Columbia City, California (left); Jeff Smith Parlor, a copy of the building in Skagway, Alasca (right).

Bodie Hotel, a copy of the building in Bodie City, California.

Bottle house. In many gold fields of the world where the wood was scaree to built a cabin, the alternative solution was to built with bottles.

The six corner "Nut Cabin".

Kasper´s shops. The first one near to the Museum and the second one in Auraria´s Area. In these two places is possible to buy jewelery made of geological products and gold.

Gold Village

For further information:

International Gold Prospector Museum
http://www.kultamuseo.fi/museo/pages/fi/etusivu.php

Tankavaara Gold Village
http://www.tankavaara.fi/goldvillage/pages/intro.php

Gold History in Lapland

Gold

Gold is a precious metal which is bright with a yellow color, it is soft and dense and when it is pure is the most malleable and ductile of all metals. In nature, this precious metal is found in a pure form or as an alloy with either silver, copper, and, sometimes, platinum. When located in rivers, gold makes its way to bedrock and will enrich the soil and gravel adhering to river beds. Also, sometimes, gold can be recovered from the bedrock.

The chemical symbol is "Au" from the Latin word for gold "aurum". Gold is a good conductor of electricity and heat and it is used in in many areas like jewellery, gilding, dentistry and electronics.

Since the early times, gold has been mentioned in Etruscan, Minoan, Assyrian and Egyptian civilizations. It was found in alluvial sand and separeted by using a pan. It was the first metal which is known to have been used by man. Throughout the Times, gold built a part of the History of Humanity responsible for wars, for discoveries of new places to search gold and for development of settlements and comunities.

Gold History in Lapland

http://www.kultamuseo.fi/kultamatkat/pages/en/gold-maps.php?lang=FI

Ivalojoki River

In Lapland, gold was found for the first time on the river Kemi in 1836, although the results were not satisfactory for further prospect.

Few years after, a new expedition, lead by Mr. J. C. Lihr, was send to the finnish shore of the river Teno (river on the border of Finland and Norway) to find gold. The discovery of gold was made in summer of 1868 in Nulkkamukka, a bend of the river Ivalojoki. This was the starting point for a new chapter of Lapland’s History.

The discovery of gold in Lapland brought many prospectors on summer of 1869, two of them, Jacob Ervast and Nils Lepistö, panned more than 2 kilos of gold in four weeks.

Due to the gold rush, many structures were created to support people who lived in gold-mining areas. One of the most famous examples in Ivalojoki River was Kultala area. In this place was built a main building called Kultalan Kruunun Stationi for government officials to control the gold fields and others infrastructures like log cabins, sauna and a saloon were created to accommodate about 600 prospectors. In 1882, Kultala had a different purpose. As 1882 was the international year of geophysics, Kultala served as base for the expedition of Finnish geophysicists with the purpose to do researches about aurora borealis on the top of Kehäpää hill. To help the research, Kultala and Kehäpää hill were connected by a telephone line, the first of its kind in Lapland.

Lemmenjoki River

After some failed attempts to find gold in Lemenjoki River, the year of 1945 was a lucky year for the Rantilla´s brothers Niilo, Uula and Veikko who found gold in Morgamoja, a tributary that flows into the river Lemmenjoki. After their discovery, late 1950s and early 1960s were the years of most dynamic activity.

To keep the order in gold fields it was founded, in 18^th of September of 1949, by gold prospectors, an association (the Association of Gold Prospectors in Finnish Lapland) to solve legal issues related to the staking of claims, goods transport in winter time and postal delivery in summer time. The association has its headquarters in Pellinen’s cabin in Morgamoja. This cabin was taken down in 1975 and a new one was built for hikers.

Tankavaara

A smith and joiner called Aleksanteri “Sauva-Aslak” Peltovuoma dreamt about an old man with white beard showing him the place where to find gold. After his dream, he sent his nephew to search for the place but the boy didn’t find it. In this way, in summer of 1934, Aslak went himself to the place, Tankanvaara, and, to his surprise, he returned with a bag full of gold nuggets. This was the way as Aslak started his professional career as a smith and joiner and finished as a gold prospector.

Laanila

It was a famous place for finnish minnig companies, like for example Prospektor, Kerkelä, Lapin Kulta Oy and Ivalojoki Oy as well as some foreign companies. When the industrial mining ceased, the area swarmed with individual gold hunters. Nowadays, Laanila has hundreds of active claims.

Gold History of Lapland in our days

The History of Gold continues in our days through the gold prospectors who still searching for this precious metal (some of them spend the summer time in their claims with their own families), through the friendly goldapanning championships; through the vestiges (like infrastructures, machines, pits, and others) left by the Time and through the International Gold Prospector Museum which preserves the rich History of Gold in Lapland.

Goldpanning Championships

1974: first gold panning competition, Finland;

1977: Tankavaara received the first World Championchips and ten countries participated in the event. Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland, was present in this event;

1981: formation of the World Goldpanning Association (WGA).

Nowadays, 20 countries are members of the World Goldpanning Association. The Annual World Championships are organized, in turn, by each member state of the Goldpanning Association.

Annual Finnish Goldpanning Competition, 19-21 of July

The Kulta Museo Team, Kullannuput.

In Goldpanning Competition Area.

The goldpanning championships in Tankavaara are one of the oldest touristic attractions in Finnish Lapland. In the event participates Finns and other many nationalities.

World Goldpanning Championship, 19 - 25 of August 2013.

Mongrando - Biella, Italy

Finalnd won in two categories: Classic and Veterans

Classic:

1- Ritva Ropponen

2- Päivi Pohjola

3- Seppo Mauno

Veterans:

1- Vaino Kukkola

2- Maija Keränen

3- Manta Tuomainen

Congradulations Finland!

World Goldpanning Championship, 11 - 17 of August 2014.
Kopparberg Sweden

For further information:

World Goldpanning Association website
http://worldgoldpanningassociation.com/

World Goldpanning Championships, Italy. 2013
http://www.elvo2013.it

World Goldpanning Championships, Sweeden. 2014
http://www.gold2014.se

My volunteer work

Since my childhood Finland is the country of my dreams and, fortunately, my chance to visit the land of one thousand lakes arrived when I was not expecting at all. Everything began in September of 2012 when I was participating in the 11^th European Geoparks Conference, Arouca (Portugal Mainland), and I met Kauko Launonen and Inkeri Syrjänen. It was thanks to a small conversation with both that they propose to me to do volunteer work in Gold Museum. Suddenly my eyes sparkled full of joy and I got a huge smile on my face when I heard this magic opportunity. After that, there were email exchanges to plan everything and I arrived to this magical place on 31^st of May of 2013.

Stand of the Aspiring Golden Geopark in the 11^th European Geoparks Conference, Arouca (Portugal Mainland).

Volunteer work developed

Teaching visitors how to use the pan and find gold and guiding tours inside of the museum

Helping in reception

Helping to build the exhibition: Stories from the Golden River

Lemmenjoki field trip (18^th and 19^th of June)

Map of Lemmenjoki hiking trail

Boat trip + hiking about 20 km to historical gold places

Work team: 2 people of International Gold Prospector Museum; 2 people of Metsähallitus (Natural Heritage Services) and 1 person of World Goldpanning Association.

Main goal of the field trip:

- Planning a new gold-themed hiking trail

Day 18^th of June:

Boat trip in Lemmenjoki River and arrival in Ravadas Waterfalls.

During the hiking trail, places visited:

- Korhonen

Korhonen’s area, with a pit made by man.

Korhonen’s excavator machines.

An abandoned prospector’s house.

First photo: broken rocks made by shovels, hammers and excavator machines to find gold. Second photo: place near to Korhonen´s area, a memorial to the gold-digger Veikko Nevalainen, who lost his life in a fire accident in his cabin.

This is a famous place of gold mining that belongs, during generations, to the Korhonen’s gold prospector family.

The history of the place started in 1950, when Kullervo Korhonen had the idea of find gold using an excavator machine. Unfortunately, he was not successful because the bucket of the machine couldn’t break the rock and, to getting worse, he couldn’t pay the loan of the excavator. After these unsuccessful episodes, he left Lapland until 1976. On the contrary, Yrjö Korhonen used many methods with a shovel to find gold and he was successful.

Nowadays, Jouko Korhonen continues the legacy of the family by digging gold. He has a claim in the gorge of Jäkälä-äytsi where he stays with his family during the summer time.

- Jåkäläpää

A place for landing small airplanes and the cultural centre of Jåkäläpää. This is also a famous place for goldpanners parties.

Inside of the cultural centre of Jåkäläpää. In walls there are photos of gold panner`s daily life and celebrations.

Me inside of the library of the cultural centre of Jåkäläpää.

- Miessi

First photo: The house of the Governor of Miessinmaa. Nowadays is a living museum where old tools are exhibited in the walls. Second photo: detail of the wall of Governor Miessinmaa´s house.

Due to the decrease of the price of gold in 50s until the mid of 70s, many gold-diggers left Lemmenjoki area. Only in the late 70s and early 80s, when the gold price rose again, the gold rush back and brought with it new “life” to Lemmenjoki area.

In this new gold rush period , prospectors like Risto Mäläskä started to introduce modern machines, like excavators and machine-powered rotating cylinders, to find gold. Nowadays the claims of Lemmenjoki River that possesses mechanical excavation are situated in Miessijoki, Jäkälä-äytsi, Ruitoávzi and Puskuoja.

Curiosities:

Did you know? The biggest nugget of Lemmenjoki weights 251grams and it is the third biggest in Finland. It is called Pikku mammutti (Little Mamoth).

Day 19^th of June:

- Kultasatama