Big Hole

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The Big Hole is a huge open-pit mine in Kimberley, South Africa and the largest hole excavated by hand. From 1866 to 1914 50 000 miners dig the hole with picks and shovels, yielding 2 722 kg of diamonds. The Big Hole has a surface of 17 hectares and is 463 metres wide. It was excavated to a depth of 240 m but then partially infilled with debris reducing its depth to about 215 m; since then it has accumulated water to a depth of 40 m leaving 175 m visible. The underground Kimberly Mine was mined to a depth of 1097 metres.