Wednesday, 26th March 2008 (1063 views)

A museum in California has been described as a "treasure chest" of historical artefacts exploring the original state gold rush in the 19th century.

The Mariposa Museum and History Centre includes "eclectic displays" featuring items preserves since the 1800s, reports Scripps News.

Old guns, medical instruments and clothes all join to form a rich tapestry of life during the period when prospectors flocked to the state in search of gold.

And outdoor displays teach visitors how gold can be extracted from ore using stamp mills, as well as giving people the opportunity to pan for gold simulated sluice boxes.

"It was said a prospector could wash his face in a stream and take a quarter ounce of gold out of his beard," said docent Ron Loya to a group of students at the museum.

In related news, a new exhibition at the Pierre Giannadda Foundation in the Swiss canton of Valais features gold items offered to the gods in ancient Egypt.

 

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