Ma'adin Ijafen

Ma'adin Ijafen is an archaeological site in an area of dunes in the Sahara in eastern Mauritania.

[1][2] Monod followed up on information provided by local hunters, searching for evidence to confirm the magnitude of the historical trans-Saharan copper trade.

[1] 450 mi (720 km) into the desert, he located bundles of cowrie shells and ingots of brass wrapped in ropes and matting and hidden in the sand.

[1][2] The site was originally thought to be the site of a caravan wreck, but Monod believed that the valuables had been hidden intentionally, either by the travelers seeking to prevent a bandit attack or by bandits hoping to retrieve the items later.

[3] All told, Monod recovered 2,085 brass ingots of approximately 29.5 in (75 cm) in length, weighing up to 1 lb (0.45 kg) each.