Well, I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek with the periodic table ref. I'm no geologist and only peripherally care about crystal structures, but did stay at a Holiday Inn last week so that should make me an expert. [i'm still just kidding if that reference is lost on anyone. Just kidding. I kid.]
It was to say: THESE rocks aren't normal. But, some things I take for granted are not taken for granted by everyone. These actually somehow suck out and store a person's soul for crying out loud. That, at least to me, should be enough to suspend everyone's notions that they are totally normal rocks. Where did they come from? How are they there? Why are they there? How do they work? I'm not saying.
The word doesn't go much higher (I write the stuff), but, to be totally frank, I don't think many of us at this level of setting development have ever cared nearly as much as I think you do about these things. I'm not being snarky, really. You just seem to care about the nature of these rocks more than we ever did (it's my observation not criticism).
Whether it is LITERALLY mining or archaeology, the miners call it mining. If you said to one of them: "Hey, you're now part of the Archaeology and Steamfitter's Union," I doubt they'd take you too seriously. Ramos may understand the nuances of the words and the nature of the stuff they're digging out of the ground. He still refers to it as mining. And he's kinda smart, so I'm taking his word for it.