In the 16th century, miners drilled galleries with a hammer and a ‘pointerolle’ (chisel) to access the mineralized zones. They then emptied the vein by digging shafts. The rock was very hard and progress was slow, only a few centimetres per day. The galleries were always dug on an incline, to facilitate the drainage of water. The ore was brought to the surface with the help of buckets, winches and small wagons called mining dogs. It was then separated from its gangue of barren rock, crushed and sorted to remove the last impurities. After a final wash, the ore was sent to the foundries for refining.