<< News >> Third century Iranian man found preserved in salt
Submitted by coldrum on Wednesday, 27 June 2007 Page Views: 1912
Multi-periodCountry: Iran Type: Ancient Mine, Quarry or other IndustryInternal Links:
A salt mine worker from northwestern Iran, who lost his life following a catastrophic rock collapse, has been discovered at the Chehr Abad mine in Zanjan province, 1800 years after his tragic death.
The man's body - preserved in salt - was discovered at the very spot where he died, according to recent Iranian news service accounts.
Since salt prevents bacterial growth and acts as a drying agent, the unfortunate accident victim became a rare natural mummy. He is the sixth "salt man" to be found. Archaeologists are of the view that that removal of the body from its salty environs could damage it, and therefore, have opted to keep the mummy on site for now.
Hassan Fazeli Nashli, director of Iran's Archaeology Research Center, explained that he and his colleagues still face "a lot of problems for preserving the other five ones" that have been unearthed over the past 14 years.
The latest discovery was not planned. Heavy rains revealed the mummified body that had been buried in nearly eight inches of dirt within one corner of a trench in the mine.
In addition to the six bodies, researchers have also recovered leather shoes, a leather bag, a terra cotta lamp and two steer horns from the mine. The horns probably once held oil the workers might have burnt to generate light.
Discovery News was told that salt, ice, water immersion and bogs all can produce natural mummies. In the case of bogs, the mixture of acidic water, cold temperature and a lack of oxygen within sphagnum may lead to the preservation. Bog bodies have been found at places in Northern Europe, Great Britain and Ireland.
CAT scans, DNA analysis, blood work and more are possible, since the body is comparable to a cryogenically stored individual.
For now, the recently discovered salt man remains in his mine tomb. (ANI)
By ANI
Saturday June 23, 01:37 PM
Washington, June 23 (ANI)
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