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Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.
Prospecting is synonymous in some ways with mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale and at least semi-scientific effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore deposits, however prospecting is increasingly restricted to describe the activities of the amateur and hobbyist who search for small quantities of ore or mineralisation.
Prospecting is increasingly a hobby or vocation undertaken as a form of relaxation and diversionary activity by modern people however in the past prospecting was the only way new mineral deposits were found.
Prospecting is quite intensive physical labor, involving a considerable amount of traversing (traditionally on foot or on horseback), panning, sifting and outcrop investigation, looking for tell-tale signs of mineralisation.