The caste system has evidently been more flexible, in terms of appropriate work for Brahmins, than one might expect. Records from the classical and medieval periods in India mention men of the Brahmin class performing work other than carrying out priestly duties or teaching about religion.
Spanish conquerors discovered that South America was home to rich veins of silver and silver ore, and they mined that wealth enthusiastically; according to the Silver Institute, an industry trade group, 85 percent of the silver produced worldwide came from Bolivia, Peru and Mexico between 1500 and 1800.
Gold Miner's Cabin - Rainy Lake 1894. Little American Gold Mine - Rainy Lake 1894. The iron deposits of Minnesota are found in three ranges, the Vermillion, Cuyuna and Mesabi. The first range, the Vermilion Range, runs between Tower and Ely, Minnesota, and contains significant deposits of iron ore.