The east‐west direction of the skarn rock mass, where silver, copper, and tin ore can be found and which was mined using the chamber method, has a number of structural disturbances. However, the mining techniques used were different to the techniques used to mine impregnated ore in a skarn body of rock. Until the 18th century the underhand stoping mining technique was used. Each section was mined with the assistance of staggered shafts, adits, and ore chutes. The main entrance to a mine is called a mine portal (in our case the fully functional Johannes mine shaft); main shafts are usually perpendicular to the vein being mined. From the main shaft smaller shafts branch out whose task it is to verify where the mineral veins lead. In the event of mineral deposits being found they can also serve as main mine shafts and also as transport shafts. A vertical or inclined shaft that does not lead to the surface but connects two different levels is called a raise. In the event that the shaft is lower than the level of the mine (in our case the lowest part is the Johannes tunnel) then it is referred to as a winze.
