Tanukibori (English spelling) gophering; coyoting

Japanese: 狸掘り - たぬきぼり（英語表記）gophering; coyoting

A small-scale mining (coal) method in which relatively high-grade parts of an ore body are randomly extracted without creating regular gradients or ore profiles. The English name is said to come from the fact that the irregularity of the mining resembles the dens of gophers (American rats) or coyotes. It is often done by hand, and the excavated areas are left as they are, with little regular support or filling. This method was often used in the past when machinery was underdeveloped and mining techniques were primitive, but it is still sometimes used today to extract small ore bodies and coal seam outcrops that require little support.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

鉱体に沿って比較的高品位の部分を正規の勾配，鉱画などをつくることなしに無秩序に採掘する小規模な採鉱 (炭) 法。英語による呼称は，採掘の不規則さがゴファー (アメリカジネズミ) やコヨーテの巣作りに似ているところによるという。手掘りで行われることが多く，採掘跡はそのままで，規則的な支保，充填などはほとんど行われない。機械類が未発達で，採掘技術も幼稚な昔はよく行われたが，現在でも支保をほとんど要しない小規模な鉱体や炭層露頭部の採掘には用いられることがある。

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