The mine was brought into production in 1972 and became one of the world's largest copper producers, with most of the concentrate exported to Japan and Germany.
Many miners, as well as builders of infrastructure used to service the mines, are brought in from elsewhere in China.
Coal from the local opencast mines is brought to the station by road using heavy goods vehicles.
By the late 12th century the metal mines were brought under the control of the Crown; operation of the tin mines was devolved to the Lord Warden of the Stannaries, and mining of other metals was directly controlled by the Crown as Mines Royal.
"We've settled into our roles; mine is bringing the energy to make some things happen," said Thornton, who has averaged 6 rebounds and 2.5 steals in the stretch.
Born in Manchester, the daughter of a mining engineer, Judith was brought up in a midlands village near Bosworth Field, and educated at Stretford grammar school for girls.
"I think your childhood was perhaps a little more cosmopolitan than mine," Henson, who was brought up in Greenwich, Connecticut, said.
In drift and slope mines, the coal was brought directly to the surface by these and similar methods.
The murder charge – and associated charges for the attempted murder of 78 miners injured at the Marikana mine near Johannesburg – was brought by the national prosecuting authority under an obscure Roman-Dutch common law previously used by the apartheid government.
"I don't know the rationales behind the actions, but a friend of mine at Google was brought to tears battling these changes," wrote Kevin Fox on the on Friendfeed blog.
