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Caption: THE AFAR SALT TRADE
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Caption: THE AFAR DEPRESSION Home to Lucy and other Australopithecus fossils
Temperatures up to 120F
Abundant salt, sulfur and potash
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Caption: ORIGINS The primordial Afar Depression is home to one of the oldest industries still alive today: the salt trade. The Afar people have made a living mining the salt, created by the Red Sea 30,000 years ago.
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Caption: Salt miners from the Afar tribe mine and shape the Amolé (salt bars) by hand, using simple hand axes to cut the bars from the ground and shape them to fit on the camels. One of the miners shared with me the critical tools of the trade: a hand ax, water and a high tolerance for heat. There is no shade, no breeze. Just ~100 to ~120 degrees of heat, and an ever present haze of dust in the air. The miners earn approximately $1.30 USD for 12 hours of work.
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Caption: Despite the harsh working conditions, the miners and caravan owners are proud of their trade, proud of their economic independence. Even in light of the looming strip mining (the Ethiopian government has partnered with a Chinese mining conglomerate to develop and capitalize the area), the independent Afar miners remain confident in the control of their territory.
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Caption: Harsh climates and rough industry make for a tough, proud and beautiful people.
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Caption: HI, I'M TAYLOR I've spent the last decade and approximately 380,000 miles seeking my wild.