The search for gold quickly moved 
from surface exploration to the 
subsoil

Pits that can reach between 20 to 
40 meters in depth are often executed 
under the guidance of Sudanese and 
Malian migrants

Trenches in the Tasiast area of 
northwestern Mauritania, established 
by explorers operating in the vicinity 
of an official concession

Mercury and cyanide are extensively used in the 
processing stage, and miners remain largely 
unaware of the health hazards they face

4X4 pick-up trucks are instrumental in the 
exploration of the Saharan hinterlands

In the town of Zouerate, piles of extracted
rock became an element of the town’s landscape

Raw materials brought from the Saharan 
hinterland for processing 

Most miners face deplorable living conditions 
in their quest for gold