The red clay formations called Las Médulas owe their angular character not to the shaping hands of nature but to those of gold miners—and not grizzled "49ers in grubby flannel and overalls, but 1st-century excavators clad in tattered tunics. When gold seams were discovered here in what"s now northern Spain, the Romans who controlled the region created a clever system of tunnels and canals under the hills, through which they channeled water from nearby streams to build pressure that cracked away huge chunks of clay.
There was gold in them there hills…
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Salmon return to the Copper River
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Brown bears in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
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South Padre Island, Texas
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Giving Tuesday
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A garden of prickly delights
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Celebrating sea otters
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International Polar Bear Day
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Breckenridge, Colorado
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Methow Valley, North Cascades, Washington
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Freshwater plants in Aquário Natural, Brazil
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Who doesn’t love a ‘Puppy’?
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A view fit for a queen
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Zoroaster Temple, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
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Flag Day
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Ruins of a royal temple
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Old Rock Day
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Taking the scenic route
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Big dreams require a big sleigh
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Behold the mighty Aldeyjarfoss
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Lunar eclipse
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At the shore of an inland sea
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Finding a balance between wetlands and water treatment
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Saffron in bloom
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Ode to the sun
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It s leap day!
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The perfect canvas for an ancient text
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Happy International Astronomy Day!
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Leshan Giant Buddha, Sichuan, China
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Let s crack the code
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It s Independence Day in Mexico
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