Hematite

specimen number:
2062478

location:
Irhoud Mine, Youssoufia, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco

description:
Lustrous example of what is often referred to as kidney ore hematite. In good condition all around with no points of attachment.

The Jebel Irhoud mine near Youssoufia, Morocco, began commercial extraction operations for baryte in 1960, which led to the accidental discovery of significant prehistoric human fossils in 1961. While the exact closing date of industrial mining is not widely documented, active quarrying heavily altered the original cave deposits during the 1960s before the location transitioned into a globally renowned archaeological preserve. Geologically, the site is situated on the eastern flank of a karstic limestone outcrop at an elevation of 562 meters. The regional geomorphology was shaped by tectonic folding during the Hercynian orogeny, and the deposit itself consists of the remnants of an ancient solutional cave filled with Pleistocene-era sedimentary layers containing rich fossil records.

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