Live ordnance from the U.S. bombing campaign 40 years ago still litters the country, but that hasn’t stopped locals from harvesting the metalPhotographs by Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Bombs in the Backyard
From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 270 million cluster bombs and other ordnance on Laos, making it the most bombed country in history. Though a great number of the dropped bombs remain live, many Laotians are tempted to collect them, as the price of imported steel rises and scrap metal takes on significant value.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Recycling
Ban Napia, the "War Spoon Village," has become famous for turning unexploded ordnance into spoons and bracelets.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Molds
Siang Phet, 32, has been making spoons in Ban Napia for 15 years.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Planter
Bomb casings are so common in Xieng Khouang that many villagers use them as pots and other decorations.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Bomb Casing
On Aug. 1, 2010, a landmark treaty dedicated to the prohibition of cluster munitions went into effect. Signed by 108 countries (but not by the U.S.), the Convention on Cluster Munitions obliges signatories to ban the use and production of cluster bombs and to clear affected areas and help victims. For Laos, the treaty comes none too soon. By some estimates, it will take 30 to 40 more years to clear all the ordnance from the country.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Laotian Landscape
It is estimated that 30% of the bombs failed to explode when they were dropped, meaning there are almost 80 million left dotting the landscape.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Map
A high density of bombs can be found in Xieng Khouang province, shown on the map above, with markings indicating areas that have been cleared. The map hangs on the wall of the Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme (UXO Lao), an organization established by the Laotian government with the help of U.N. agencies to reduce the dangers of unexploded ordnance.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Deminer
Pon Van, 28, is part of the only all-female team of the Laotian chapter of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), an international NGO dedicated to clearing weapons and other remnants of war from conflict zones.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
In the Weeds
It is estimated that 46 million cluster bombs are still lying around Xieng Khouang province, where they continue to cause havoc, injuring or killing more than 300 people a year.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Prosthesis
The Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise (COPE) in Phonsanvan, the capital of Xieng Khouang, provides free prostheses and treatment to victims of UXO accidents.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Victim
Keo Har, 10, was injured by unexploded ordnance while digging in a field.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Lesson
Children use hand puppets to warn other kids of the dangers of collecting scrap metal.Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
Lyrics
The lesson about the dangers of scrap metal includes a song known as the "bombie song," which includes the words, "There are many types of unexploded ordnance/ It is very hard to guess where they are/ If you find one, please run away."Arantxa Cedillo for TIME
