ROSIA MONTANA, ROMANIA: INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE IN SITU, BETWEEN PRESERVATION, CONTROVERSY AND CULTURAL RECOGNITION

The first aim of this article is to present a comprehensive analysis of industrial heritage 'in situ', highlighting the cultural and technological importance of the Rosia Montana. archaeological site. This is an ancient gold-mining area, exploited since the Iron Age, and the site is one of the most representative of Romania in terms of cultural patrimony, with elements of mining heritage, vernacular architecture, archaeological remains from Roman period. The documentation has been drafted for the inclusion of the Rosia Montana. archaeological mining site on the UNESCO World Heritage monuments tentative list; this is currently being assessed by the Romanian Ministry of Culture. The second aim of the article is to anticipate the impact of the resumption of extractive activity by a Canadian company. This situation is one of the most controversial topics in Romanian society, as a result of the response to the negative impact of mining, including the pollution of surface waters with cyanide and the flooding of an entire village, along with its valuable cultural heritage.