<Tr> <Th> Founder </Th> <Td> Thráin I </Td> </Tr> <P> In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle - earth legendarium, the Lonely Mountain (Sindarin Erebor) is a mountain in the north of Rhovanion . It is the source of the Celduin River, and the location of the Kingdom under the Mountain . The town of Dale lies in a vale on its southern slopes . </P> <P> Erebor stood hundreds of miles from the nearest mountain range . Tolkien's map shown in The Hobbit shows the mountain with six ridges stretching out from a central peak that was snowcapped well into spring . The whole mountain was perhaps ten miles in diameter; it contained fabulous lodes of gold and jewels . </P> <P> The mountain was the habitat for a variety of plants and animals, including thrushes, crows, snails and pines; some of these were endemic sub-species . Perhaps the most well - known were the ravens of Ravenhill, a spur of the mountain . Some wildlife survived the Desolation of Smaug, a dragon who invaded the Mountain and dominated its surrounds for nearly 200 years in the Third Age . </P>

What happened to the mountain after thorin died