19th-century coal mining. Historical artwork of a meeting being held in a coal mine by lamp-light. A meeting like this might discuss where to dig new tunnels, or where to extend existing tunnels. The role of surveying the mine and drawing up plans of the tunnels is carried out by the geometer. He and his team will carry out precise measurements using measures, compasses, and graphometers, producing a map of the mine in three dimensions. Miners are excavating a tunnel at left. Wooden beams are used to support the tunnels. Engraving by Gauchard, published in Mines and Miners (L. Simonin, 1868).