Decay and Reactivation of Gold Mining in the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula: Procuratores Metallorum and Roman Administration

The presence of procuratores metallorum acting as imperial officers within the background of gold mining activity on the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula raises a number of questions./nThe first has to do with their activity, apparently a full-time one, during the second half of the 2nd century, which in itself may be taken as a response to the need of reactivating mining works during those decades./nThe second has to be connected with the link they might have had with theprocurators Asturiae et Callaeciae and, in turn, with the governors of the province Citerior Tarraconensis./nThe third and final one has to do with the role displayed by the beneficiarii, acting as their subalterns in charge of the control of the different mining districts.La presencia de los procuratores metallorum como funcionarios imperiales en el marco de las explotaciones mineras de oro del Noroeste peninsular plantea numerosos interrogantes./nEn primer lugar, su actuación, al parecer exclusiva, durante la segunda mitad del siglo ii, tal vez como respuesta a la necesidad de una reactivación de las labores mineras en esas décadas./nJunto a ello su posible vinculación con los procuratores Asturiae et Callaeciae y, en consecuencia, con los gobernadores de la provincia Citerior Tarraconense./nY, por último, el papel desempeñado por los beneficiarii como subalternos bajo su dirección con vistas al control y aprovechamiento de los diferentes distritos de explotación