An ancient salt mine in Iran found dead miners naturally preserved in horrifying conditions for thousands of years – some with their hands still raised – before they were buried alive. New York PostThese corpses – known as “saltmen” – were naturally mummified and preserved in the Chehrabad salt mine near the village of Manzelou in northwestern Iran. The corpses come from different time periods, with the oldest dating back to 9550 BC – more than 10,000 years ago.
The first Saltman – with a long white beard and a gold earring as well as a set of iron knives – was accidentally excavated by miners in 1993. This mummy was still wearing his leather boots and had some traces of woollen trousers on his legs. PostIt is believed that this man died in the mine around 300 A.D. His remains were buried in the middle of the 148-foot tunnel.
The second corpse was found in 2004, just 50 feet from where Saltman 1’s remains were found. In 2005, two more mummies – including the remains of a 16-year-old boy – were found in another tunnel. By 2010, a total of six corpses had been found in the salt mine.
All the bodies were extremely well preserved thanks to the salt. The lack of oxygen also meant that the bodies couldn’t decay.
Saltman’s first study of the heads revealed that the bodies had fractures around the eye and also damage to the head – leading scientists to conclude that they were all likely killed in a mining collapse. The 16-year-old mummy’s hands were still found raised above his face, as if he had been surprised by a sudden fall or some other danger.
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The fifth saltman was more intact than the others, allowing scientists to examine his organs up close. They found that he had tapeworm eggs in his body, indicating that these men had eaten raw or undercooked meat before their untimely deaths in the salt caves.
The discovery is the earliest evidence of ancient intestinal parasites in Iran, according to a 2012 research paper published in the Journal of Parasitology.
While six complete bodies have been recovered, severed body parts have also been found. Post reported. The number of possible “saltmen” bodies is now believed to be eight or more. It is highly likely that they were all miners who died in collapses or accidents. The official cause of death and how many more of them may be inside the mine remains a mystery.
