Agricola, Georgius (1494-1555)

Latinized name of Georg Bauer. German mineralogist who pioneered mining technology. His book De Re Metallica/On Metals 1556, illustrated with woodcuts, became a standard text on smelting and mining. Agricola was born at Glauchau in Saxony and trained as a physician. Involvement with the medicinal use of minerals sparked curiosity for the products of the Earth, and he quickly made himself an authority on mining, metal extraction, smelting, assaying, and related chemical processes. His The Nature of Fossils 1546 advances one of the first comprehensive classifications of minerals. He went on to explore the origins of rocks, mountains, and volcanoes.