<論説>熊野銅山史の研究

Abstract

熊野地方、現在の三重県南牟婁郡・和歌山県東牟婁郡の銅鉱の存在状況などよく調査されているはずで、昭和に入りかなり大規模な採掘も行われたのである。近世、熊野銅山の名はかなり著われていて、報告された銅山名も数十以上に及び、しかもその大部分は近世前期にすでに開発採掘されたと思われる。しかし所在がはっきりしない銅山が多く、その調査のため現地の郷土史家の熱心な協力をうけた。さらに、そのうち重要な銅山はいずれか、またそれら銅山の稼行や産銅の経緯についても殆ど不明のままであるといってよい。直接的な史料ははなはだ乏しく、大阪における熊野銅の廻着・売買・製錬についての史料などよりも併わせ考えて、これらの問題を追究したい。

It has been known that copper mines existed in the Kumano region which includes Minami-Muro District 南牟婁郡 of Mie Prefecture 三重県 and Higashi-Muro District 東牟婁郡 of Wakayama Prefecture 和歌山県. The literature in the Edo 江戸 Period often referred to the copper mines in the Kumano region. It, also, reported scores of names of those mines, most of which had been already exploited in the former term of the Edo Period. Moreover, mining in those mines was done on the large scale even in the Showa 昭和 Period. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that details on the circumstances of these mines have been well investigated. We cannot locate surely many of those mines. It has not been made clear which the main mine was. Furthermore, neither the amount of the production nor the process of producing the copper has been made known. This article, therefore, aimed at throwing light upon the conditions of these mines. As we lack historical sources which are directly concerned with the Kumano copper mines, I would like to utilize, at the same time, the historical materials of Osaka 大阪 which illustrate the transportation of the copper, the sale, and the refinement of the copper ore. Best of all, I appreciate greatly the devoted cooperation of the local historians in the Kumano region.