In ancient times, this kind of exploration depended on our geomantic metaphysics, but there was great pressure. Most ancient feng shui masters attached great importance to the geographical position of mountains and rivers. The construction of houses is inseparable from geomantic omen, and the choice of cemeteries is also inseparable from geomantic omen. Looking for this mine and mountain range is inseparable from Feng Shui. In fact, ancient geomantic omen also has certain scientific basis. What kind of mountains grow easily and what kind of mines grow easily? These experiences have been handed down from generation to generation. Many prospecting methods are regarded as trade secrets and only passed on to their most trusted successors.
Later, people gradually discovered some laws in the experience of prospecting again and again, and sorted out some famous works that have been passed down to this day. There is a record in "Heavenly Creations and Hardware": "Water and gold ... are all copied from the river, and gold is scoured." "There is a lot of gold in the southwest, and those who take caves and mountains reach more than ten feet ..." Many gold and silver mines are mined by drilling holes or digging caves underground. Now some sites of some ancient mines prove that the ancient mining methods in China are very mature.
Even in the Tang and Song Dynasties, the room column method was used to support the mine with wooden columns. It can be seen that the ancients had their own unique and used methods in prospecting, mining and processing.