Nestled in an enchanting corner of Austria lies the oldest salt mine in the world, dating back even to before ancient Egypt. Seven thousand years old, Salzwelten Hallstatt—the prehistoric salt mine of the lakeside village of Hallstatt—has safeguarded many secrets from way back in history, including the preserved body of a miner.
Famously known as the “Man in Salt” the mummified corpse was discovered by three miners in 1734. To the men’s amazement, the shoes and clothes of their fellow miner had survived, conserved in the salt, and even his skin and hair were visible.
Records describe the corpse as being “pressed flat as a board and features worn away by stone. Clothing and tools quite unusual, but completely intact,” reported Hallstatt.net.
The miners assumed that the body, embedded into the rock salt deposits, was hundreds of years old, but were later staggered to learn the man had in fact died around 350 B.C., according to Natural History Museum Vienna, perhaps due to a natural disaster. The mummy had lain hidden under debris and rubble for centuries.
The Man in Salt now lies buried in Hallstatt’s graveyard, but there is plenty more to see and sense deep within the mountain.
Situated in a high valley above the village with its shimmering lake, Hallstatt is a world of tunnels and passageways—with its own subterranean salt lake. Most people opt to take the funicular lift up to the mine entrance.
Once there, the importance of the salt, or “white gold,” and its role in shaping ancient civilizations starts to become clear. To explore, tourists venture to a depth of 200 meters (approx. 656 feet) - requiring some special feats of engineering. A pit railway and fast 64-meter (209-foot) wooden slide take visitors on a tour through the history of salt mining, from the Neolithic period up to today’s high-tech industry.
Evidence of human mining activity dates back to at least 5,000 B.C. In 1838, miners found a primitive pick in the passage known as the Kaiser Josef Tunnel.
Made from deer antler, it was one of the first tools “used to dig out salt,” roughly 7,000 years ago. Of course, those men grafting hard to extract salt millennia ago didn’t have the luxury of modern tools and technology or a sophisticated lift system.
As recently as 2003, a wooden staircase was found within the Christian von Tuschwerk mine at Hallstatt. By examining tree rings, scientists were able to confirm that the stairs date back 3,100 years, to the Bronze Age. Each step was more than a meter wide, meaning the busy miners could pass each other coming up and going down at the same time. The 8-meter- (26-foot-) long staircase is the “oldest surviving set of stairs in Europe.”
In December 1997, UNESCO declared Hallstatt a “World Cultural and Natural Heritage” site.
Anna Mason is a writer based in England. She majored in literature and specializes in human interest, travel, lifestyle and content marketing. Anna enjoys storytelling, adventures, the Balearic sunshine and the Yorkshire rain.
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