MineArchiveErebor (The Lonely Mountain)
Fictional record. This page describes a mine from a fictional setting, not a real place. Information is based on the cited canon, with adaptations and interpretation distinguished where necessary. It is kept separate from the real MineArchive corpus — see Fictional.
| Setting | Middle-earth (J.R.R. Tolkien) |
|---|---|
| Location | In the north-east of Wilderland, standing alone above the plain beside the Long Lake and the town of Dale, on the edge of Mirkwood. |
| Type | Metal |
| Worked | Founded by Thráin I after the loss of Khazad-dûm – Sacked by the dragon Smaug in T.A. 2770; reclaimed by Thorin Oakenshield's company in T.A. 2941 |
| Status | Researched |
Overview
The Kingdom under the Mountain, seat of Durin's Folk after the loss of Khazad-dûm, whose fabled wealth in gold, jewels and the Arkenstone drew the dragon Smaug to seize it — and, more than a century and a half later, drew Thorin Oakenshield's company, and Bilbo Baggins with them, back to reclaim it.
History
Erebor was founded by Thráin I after Durin's Folk lost Khazad-dûm, and grew rich under King Thrór through mining, metalwork and trade with the neighbouring Men of Dale, its wealth becoming legendary across Middle-earth. That wealth drew the dragon Smaug, who sacked the mountain in T.A. 2770 and settled on Thrór's hoard for over a century and a half, until Thorin Oakenshield — Thrór's grandson — led a company of thirteen dwarves and the hobbit Bilbo Baggins back to reclaim it in T.A. 2941.
Workings
Erebor's wealth came from mining and from the dwarves' own celebrated metalwork; its halls included Thrór's great treasure chamber, where the dwarves' hoarded gold and gems — and the Arkenstone, the 'Heart of the Mountain' — were kept.
Closure
See Disasters, below, for Smaug's sack of the mountain.
What became of it
Retaken after Smaug's death and the Battle of Five Armies, Erebor was resettled as the Kingdom under the Mountain, first under Dáin Ironfoot and later Thorin's own line, and remained a dwarf kingdom into the Fourth Age — one of the few mine records in this archive, fictional or real, with what amounts to a happy ending.
Disasters & major incidents
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The Sack of Erebor
T.A. 2770 · Fire
The dragon Smaug descended on Erebor in T.A. 2770, killing the dwarves guarding its gate with his fiery breath before turning on the neighbouring town of Dale, killing several hundred people there and burning much of the surrounding land to a desolation. King Thrór and his son Thráin escaped through a secret door; Smaug settled on the mountain's abandoned hoard for over 150 years.
Related fictional records
Recorded claims
Each claim is marked with its basis — explicit canon, MineArchive inference, adaptation only, or fandom interpretation — and attached to the source(s) below. Where tellings disagree, both are kept.
- Erebor was founded by Thráin I after Durin's Folk lost Khazad-dûm. (explicit canon, high) 1
- Erebor's fabled wealth under King Thrór drew the dragon Smaug, who sacked the mountain in T.A. 2770 and settled on the hoard for over a century and a half. (explicit canon, high) 2,3
- After Smaug's death and the Battle of Five Armies in T.A. 2941, Erebor was resettled as the Kingdom under the Mountain and remained a dwarf kingdom into the Fourth Age. (explicit canon, high) 1,2
Sources
- (primary canon) The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A — 'Durin's Folk' — J.R.R. Tolkien, 1955
- (primary canon) The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B — 'The Tale of Years' — J.R.R. Tolkien, 1955
- (primary canon) The Hobbit — Chapter 1, 'An Unexpected Party' — J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937
- (primary canon) The Hobbit — Chapter 13, 'Not at Home' — J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937 (mithril text from the 1966 revision)
Record created: 25 August 2026 · Last researched: 25 August 2026