INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
joint Iran and German research on a mysterious ancient mine.The book puts the spotlight on the professional conservation and storage as well
as the promotion of extraordinary organic finds and mummies in Iran from the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras, which are mainly located in the
Zolfaghari Archaeological Museum in Zanjan.Furthermore, the book covers discoveries that have produced and will continue to produce
Jebrael Nokandeh said on Wednesday.Nokandeh said the book features scientific achievements of the joint project of Iran and Germany and
their findings in the Cheharabad mine that date from the Achaemenid period (c
550 - 330 BC) onwards.According to Nokandeh, the National Museum and the German Mining Museum in Bochum have made considerable cooperation
in line with an agreement they signed in 2017, based on which the two institutions have held exhibitions of each other's historical and
cultural artifacts related to the subject of ancient mining.What was a catastrophe for the ancient miners has become a sensation for science
Sporting a long white beard, iron knives, and a single gold earring, the first salt mummy was discovered in 1993
He is estimated to be trapped in the mine in ca
miners in the Douzlakh Salt Mine, near Hamzehli and Chehrabad villages, accidentally came across a mummified head
The head was very well preserved, to the extent that his pierced ear was still holding the gold earring
The hair, beard, and mustaches were reddish, and his impressive leather boot still contained parts of his leg and foot, according to the
He still looks very impressive
The third body was dated and placed in 2337 BP, the fourth body in 2301 BP, and the fifth mummy was dated to 2286 BP, placing them all in
the Achaemenid period.The isotopic analysis of the human remains revealed much information about the salt mummies.Besides, the
archaeological finds, such as animal bones found within the context of the saltmen, showed that the miners might have eaten sheep, goats,
and probably pigs and cattle, as well
The archaeobotanical finds recorded showed different cultivated plants were eaten, indicating an agricultural establishment in the vicinity
of the mine.The wealth of fabric and other organic material (leather) worn by the saltmen have allowed a thorough analysis to be undertaken,
detailing the resources used to make the fabrics, the processing, the dyes used to color the fibers of the garments, and not least they
offer an excellent overview of the changes in cloth types, patterns of weaving, and the changes of the fibers through time.In addition, the
5 had tapeworm eggs from the Taenia sp
These were identified during the study of his remains
The find indicates the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, and this is the first case of this parasite in ancient Iran and the earliest
evidence of ancient intestinal parasites in the area
The best preserved and probably the most harrowing of the saltmen is Saltman No
A sixteen-year-old miner, caught in the moment of death, crushed by a cave-in.The Ngwenya Mine in Eswatini (Swaziland) is believed to be the
oldest-known mine, which dates some 43,000 years old
At this site, Paleolithic humans mined hematite to make the red pigment ochre
Moreover, mines of a similar age in Hungary are believed to be sites where Neanderthals may have mined flint for weapons and tools.AM
