Illegal mining drilling reported at Roman archaeological site in Apuseni Mountains

The mining company Gekko&Neka Invest is accused of conducting illegal gold and copper prospecting drills within a protected archaeological site in the Stănija area of the Apuseni Mountains, Hunedoara County.

Investigations and statements from Mining Watch România indicate that the drilling is occurring within the perimeter of the ‘Valea Tisei’ site, which contains Roman and medieval mining vestiges. The site includes nearly two-thousand-year-old galleries, ceramics, ancient water systems, and artifacts from the Coțofeni culture.

The Hunedoara County Directorate for Culture confirmed that the company has neither requested nor obtained the mandatory permits required to perform such work within the classified archaeological perimeter. Mining Watch România has characterized the activity as ‘an act of vandalism’ that risks the irremediable destruction of national historical heritage.