Excavating the Mines of Moria - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

The Mouth of Sauron · 06-19-2009, 09:35 PM

The Mines of Moria were vast, maybe as much as 40 miles across, with huge habitable areas on many levels towards the eastern side where the main gates were, and the "working" and mining areas towards the west side.

The Dwarves' excavation of Khazad-Dum must have been an incredible undertaking over the ages, but one question - where did they put all the rock and rubble they dug out of the ground ?

Inziladun · 06-19-2009, 09:46 PM

Hm. Possibly they just piled it up in the areas near the Gates, making small, artificial hills that over time came to look natural? The only other option I see would have been to haul it away. But that seems a rather pointless (and tedious) undertaking.

Morsul the Dark · 06-19-2009, 11:57 PM

They may have also have sold it off the help build walls and towns and things... as well as statues. also the misty mountains probably have some pretty good areas to deposit such things

Rumil · 06-20-2009, 04:24 AM

Made me think of the gravelly-stony scree slope that Bilbo, Gandalf and the Dwarves slid down in their escape from the Misty Mountains. Though too far North for a Moria slag heap.

Up the Valleys they've landscaped a lot of the old slag-heaps and they look reasonably tidy now after only 50 or so years, so I guess after a few thousand years of weathering in Middle Earth it would be difficut to tell what was mine-spoil and what was natural.

Kuruharan · 06-20-2009, 09:29 AM

The dwarves may have thrown a lot of their waste into pits and things inside the mountains as well.

Oddwen · 06-20-2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

The dwarves may have thrown a lot of their waste into pits and things inside the mountains as well.

...explaining just how they managed to wake certain things up...

06-19-2009, 09:35 PM	#1
The Mouth of Sauron Wight Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Barad-Dur Posts: 196	Excavating the Mines of Moria The Mines of Moria were vast, maybe as much as 40 miles across, with huge habitable areas on many levels towards the eastern side where the main gates were, and the "working" and mining areas towards the west side. The Dwarves' excavation of Khazad-Dum must have been an incredible undertaking over the ages, but one question - where did they put all the rock and rubble they dug out of the ground ?

06-19-2009, 09:46 PM	#2
Inziladun Gruesome Spectre Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Heaven's doorstep Posts: 8,039	Hm. Possibly they just piled it up in the areas near the Gates, making small, artificial hills that over time came to look natural? The only other option I see would have been to haul it away. But that seems a rather pointless (and tedious) undertaking. __________________ Music alone proves the existence of God.

06-19-2009, 11:57 PM	#3
Morsul the Dark Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 3,448	They may have also have sold it off the help build walls and towns and things... as well as statues. also the misty mountains probably have some pretty good areas to deposit such things __________________ Morsul the Resurrected

06-20-2009, 04:24 AM	#4
Rumil Sage & Onions Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Britain Posts: 894	Slag heap Made me think of the gravelly-stony scree slope that Bilbo, Gandalf and the Dwarves slid down in their escape from the Misty Mountains. Though too far North for a Moria slag heap. Up the Valleys they've landscaped a lot of the old slag-heaps and they look reasonably tidy now after only 50 or so years, so I guess after a few thousand years of weathering in Middle Earth it would be difficut to tell what was mine-spoil and what was natural. __________________ Rumil of Coedhirion

06-20-2009, 09:29 AM	#5
Kuruharan Regal Dwarven Shade Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: A Remote Dwarven Hold Posts: 3,593	The dwarves may have thrown a lot of their waste into pits and things inside the mountains as well. __________________ ...finding a path that cannot be found, walking a road that cannot be seen, climbing a ladder that was never placed, or reading a paragraph that has no...