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> But there is one gizmo of which the Sahel’s gold miners can claim to be the most important users worldwide - the cheap portable metal detectors, which became
by ericbarrett 3y ago
> But there is one gizmo of which the Sahel’s gold miners can claim to be the most important users worldwide - the cheap portable metal detectors, which became widely available in the region around 2008-2009
The article (which I quote above) argues that the artisanal mining in central Africa is often called "primitive" but is actually a modern phenomenon based on the availability of metal detectors. Certainly these devices have been around since much longer than 2009. What changed? Manufacturing cost? Regional distribution networks? Trade agreements with China?
- tokai 3y agoMining by hand with metal detectors is primitive even if the technology is modern and the practice is new. It is non-industrialized, low complexity, and unsophisticated compared to modern mining operations.
- ericbarrett 3y agoWell, yes, nobody is claiming that artisanal mining is state of the art. Just that it's a modern phenomenon at this scale. I thought it was interesting, but it also lead me to more questions.
- pjc50 3y agoThe world is a very large place; it probably took this long for people to realize that using a handheld metal detector in those particular areas would find a useful amount of gold. It's not clear whether they're just for prospecting or actually finding meaningful quantities of gold as nuggets? Traditionally it's in tiny specks.