Cseri Miklós - Horváth Anita - Szabó Zsuzsanna (szerk.): Discover Rural Hungary!, Guide (Szentendre, Hungarian Open Air Museum, 2007)

X Kisalföld - X-13 House from Ásványráró

X-13 Zell which can be seen in the first room. One of the last authentic threshing barns stands at the back of the yard: the timber-framed wattle-walled structure covered with reed is from Kisbodak and houses an exhibition of crossbeams. The barn is also used for receiving visitors. The Carpathian Basin has been one of the richest gold-washing areas in Europe from time immemorial. The most advanced method of washing was used by the gold-seekers of Csallóköz and Szigetköz. A coarse blanket was laid on a tilted washboard and the alluvium placed on its upper end. Water was poured on it and the grains of gold became stuck in the threads of the blanket. When the blanket filled up it was rinsed into the pail. At the end of the day the sand rich in gold was purified further: it was kneaded with mercury and pressed thoroughly in a lint sack. The gold mixed with mercury was burnt on fire in an iron spoon and pure gold extracted at the end of the process. A daily average of 1-2 grams was washed ; I • Gold panning