Very Large Hoe Currency Afo 07.02.405
Given the amount of iron ore, charcoal, and hard work involved in production, it would appear they were made when the labor-intensive process of ironmaking was at its apogee in both efficiency and proficiency in West Africa . This was before massive deforestation resulted from charcoal production (to feed the insatiable iron furnaces), and local iron smelting became unnecessary due to the availability of cheap iron and scrap steel from colonial sources
