amber mining in simojovel
For centuries, people in Simojovel, Mexico, have tunnelled into the hills in search of amber. In that time very little has changed.
The mines lack any kind of structural support or safety regulation and they are the site of frequent collapses. Many have lost their lives here and It’s not uncommon to see boys of 12 go to work in these tunnels.
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Above on the left, A young miner stands facing the entrance to one of the larger tunnels in the area. This one extends over half a kilometre into the mountainside.
On the right, another miner is lit by the narrow beam of a headlamp in the tunnel where he works everyday. He says that the mines scare him, but he returns nonetheless.
Their work is carried out with basic tools - sledgehammers, metal nails and pickaxes are used to mine the rock at the face, before the rubble is transported to the outside in wheelbarrows and dumped off of a small cliff. It’s backbreaking work, but the miners do not eat through the day - instead, they sustain themselves mith Pozol, a maize drink.
Alberto, above, is an artisan who lives in Simojovel. here he’s pictured covered in dust as he polishes a piece of raw amber he’s bought from the miners. on the other side of the room, his wife strings amber beads into jewellery whilst one of his daughters does her chemistry homework on the bed. Alberto lives here with his family of eight.
Another artisan pictured with his young son next to the workbench he shares with his own father. One day, it’s likely that the boy will work at the bench next to them.
