Serra Pelada

The Serra Pelada gold mine, Brazil, by Miguel Rio Branco:

Serra Pelada (Hill of Gold) mine, one of the richest deposits of alluvial gold ever found, is also considered one of the largest in the world. Located 270 miles south of Belem on the Amazon delta, Serra Pelada is controlled by the state, which distributes barrancos, small squares of soil, to owners, garimperos (gold diggers or fortune hunters), according to seniority. Garimperos are only allowed to dig vertically, to avoid encroaching on other barrancos.