摘要：The article deals with the historical development of mineral deposits exploitation which has very old history. Several thousands of years hid from us where and when people first began to extract minerals from the interior of the earth. With the development of human society the extraction of minerals has been increasing steadily. Nowadays the growth of extraction is accompanied by the deterioration of mining and geological conditions of mining operations, reducing mineralization in the deposit. As a result of intensive development mineral reserves located near the soil surface have changed significantly. Modern open-casts, open pits, and mines are highly productive and automated production complexes, including very extensive and diverse mining, various industrial buildings and facilities, the system of energy-mechanical equipment, automation and control with the use of microcomputer equipment. The paper describes a number of stages which modern mining in its development had passed and at which innovative breakthrough radically changed the place of the mineral sector in the society, and made the work of miners safer and more productive. For the systemization of the historical development of coal industry it is important to identify those technological breakthroughs that radically changed the technological and technical conditions of mining.
