Opponents of a Canadian gold mine project at an ancient Roman site in Transylvania threatened to sue authorities on Monday after Romania's culture ministry issued a permit for the mine.

"We will go to court to contest the archaeological discharge certificate" delivered by a local department of the ministry, Eugen David, chairman of Alburnus Maior association, told AFP.

Alburnus Maior has brought together scores of villagers opposed to plans by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC), which is 80 percent held by Canadian firm Gabriel Resources, to establish an open-cast gold mine in the area, an ancient Roman site.

A spokesman for the ministry, Radu Enache, said the granting of the permit was based on the findings of the National Archaeological Commission, which "could not be ignored".

The company has promised to provide $70 million (50 million euros) to preserve and develop local heritage at the site, the ministry said.

The mayor of Rosia Montana, Eugen Furdui, also said the green light for the project was good news.

"This is the only way to build modern infrastructure, create jobs, restore the environment and have tourists enjoy themselves here," he wrote in an open letter.

But a dozen archaeologists and historians accused the culture ministry of "favouring the RMGC's financial interests" at the expense of priceless Roman heritage.

A previous certificate granted in 2004 was cancelled by an appeal court which ruled that "starting mine activity in the area would affect protected archaeological remains".

Rosia Montana's green hills are said to hold more than 300 tonnes of gold, one of the biggest deposits in Europe.

The International Council for Monuments and Sites, one of the three formal advisory bodies to the World Heritage Committee, recently supported moves to put Rosia Montana on Romania's tentative list for UN heritage body UNESCO, a first step in the long process towards a World Heritage listing.

Gabriel Resources obtained a concession license to exploit the local gold in 1999. More than a decade later, the firm has still not been granted all the required environmental and archaeological permits.

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