Being hidden
and mummified in the heart of a salt mine for 1700 years, the Salt men of Iran
are counted as the weirdest things you can see in Iran.
In 1993, the
miners of Chehrabad salt mine around Zanjan in the northwest of Iran discovered
an ancient body mummified in salt with long hair and beard, a single gold
earring, iron knives, a piece of rope and a leather boot. Ten years later in
2004, another miner found the second Salt man in Chehrabad mine. This time,
some ropes and tools were discovered around the salt man. The mining project
was canceled and a long-term scientific and excavation project was started in
the salt mine. Six Saltmen are uncovered in this mine, so far. The fourth
Saltman is the least rusted one and is related to a 16-year-old boy.
Discovering these six Saltmen and the objects
around them has led to valuable information about the clothes, tools and even
physical conditions of the ancient men in Iran. According to the results of C14
dating, the Saltmen lived during Achaemenid, Sassanid and Parthian dynasties
and were accidentally killed by the collapse of the mine. The first
Saltman discovered is now kept in National Museum of Iran located in Tehran and
the rest of them are kept in Zolfaghari mansion known as the “Salt men Museum”
in historical city of Zanjan.
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| Salt man of Iran. |
