GOGOTTOMONITES
NATURE IS THE GREATEST ARTIST

For several years now, around 20 predominantly young men have been permanently digging into the ridges of the High Atlas Mountains, sometimes under adventurous conditions. The fantastic ammonites from here are now represented in collections around the world.

If the diggers – often former shepherds – manage to make a good find, the piece has to be transported down into the valley for almost two hours on the back of a donkey through rough terrain. In order to reduce the weight, it was therefore common practice to chip away as much of the surrounding rock as possible. The ammonites are often embedded in picturesque limestone nodules, which turn the whole piece into a unique work of art and are very similar to the famous sandstone formations from France, the so-called Gogottes.