In pictures: Brazilian gold mine

The prospectors work their plots, cutting down trees and digging out the earth.

They then pan the soil, washing the mud away, keenly looking out for nuggets of gold.

Groups of miners work for an owner of a hole – a “barranco” – or they are partners in business.

When the mining there began, extracting the gold was easy but as the mine has become more crowded, the work has got harder.