1 Rockslide of Kánya Hill Localization: 5 km northeast of Telkibánya

Rockslide of Kánya Hill
Localization: 5 km northeast of Telkibánya;
GPS coordinates: N 48° 30,783’; E 21° 24,100’;
Age: 1443;
Current status: well visible;
Description: Near to the top of Kánya Hill a rock can be found, which contains rounded
pebbles embedded in hard quartzite cement showing its sedimentary origin. Among the
pebbles occur not only quartzites and volcanic fragments, but also metamorphic rocks which
are not known from the surface in the surroundings. Apart from these, a mineral alteration
with potassium enrichment can be identified in the rock, which is characteristic for the
andesite of Kánya Hill.
All these features demonstrate that among the volcanoes for 12.5–13 M years the
recent Kánya Hill was not by a long chalk in a raised position like now. A river crossed it,
flowing from the north, and in its pebbly channel sediments formed by cementation the
recent conglomerate. The formation of the hard quartzite cement was probably supported
by the hydrothermal effect contemporaneously with the ore formation. Below the
conglomerate lie further fluvial sedimentary rocks, like cross-bedded sandstone.
There is an opinion, that the splitting of the conglomerate into blocks and the
formation of the debris was produced by the same earthquake at 1443, which caused the
recorded, legendary Veresvíz mine collapse. The debris seems to be fresh with a geological
scale at least. Over the paved road leading to the radar station there are several medieval
pits with subsided blocks of conglomerate, while over these the conglomerate bed crops out
in its original position. Some shafts bear the trace of the faulting on their wall.
The medieval miners used the hard rock to carve the millstones of the crushing mill.
These were cca. 1 cubic metre large, rounded millstones. One can find among the blocks
several aborted or mismade proto-millstones, with a hole carved for the pivot pin in the
middle. Several used millstones were found around the ore processing works, which were
collected on the yard of the museum at Telkibánya.
1
Rockslide of Kánya Hill
There is an opinion, that the splitting of
the conglomerate into blocks and the
formation of the debris was produced by
the same earthquake at 1443, which
caused the recorded, legendary Veresvíz
mine collapse.
2
The medieval miners used the hard rock to
carve the millstones of the crushing mill.
These were cca. 1 cubic metre large,
rounded millstones. One can find among
the blocks several aborted or mismade
proto-millstones, with a hole carved for
the pivot pin in the middle.
3
Block, which could had been a millstone
4
Several used millstones were found
around the ore processing works, which
were collected on the yard of the Museum
of Telkibánya.