The barren industrial landscape surrounding the settlement of Longyearbyen on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is marked by remnants of early 20th century coal mining activities. Various mining related buildings, including ropeway stations and the grandiloquent ropeway towers trace the linear movement of coal from exposed hillside veins to the former harbor on Advent Bay.

Last standing ACC ropeway tower above Longyearbyen

Remains of the ACC loading facility at the hillside mine

Section of ropeway with skips stretching across the landscape

Abandoned in 1968, the Store Norske mine looms above the valley

Ropeway station above Longyearbyen

Photographs Copyright © 2003 by Larry Mishkar - Select on photograph to enlarge

One of the earliest coal mines at Longyearbyen was started by Michigan native John M. Longyear, who Longyearbyen is named after. The Arctic Coal Company began operations in 1906 with partner Frederick Ayer of Boston. Longyear and mine managers Frederick Burall and Scott Turner are graduates of the Michigan School of Mines, the forerunner of Michigan Technological University. Manuscript documents, photographs and company records exist in the MTU archives.

In 2003 a survey was made of the former ACC operations at Longyearbyen, and included other historic mining areas along the shores of Advent Bay. Data gathered from this survey is being used to plan future archaeology work using an international team of graduate students and academics, including some from Michigan Tech.

Larry Mishkar-Photographer
Graduate Program in Industrial Archaeology
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, Michigan 49931
www.larrymishkar.com