Below the Salt: A Preliminary Study of the Dating and Biology of Five Salt-Preserved Bodies from Zanjan Province, Iran

Pollard, A. Mark; Brothwell, Don; Aali, Abolfazl; Buckley, Stephen; Fazeli, H.; Dehkordi, Manijeh Hadian; Holden, T. M.; Jones, Andrew; Shokouhi, J.J.; Vatandoust, Rasool; Wilson, A. S.

doi:10.1080/05786967.2008.11864741

Cited by 16 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In a previous paper (Pollard et al 2008) we presented some isotopic data from these remains, but unfortunately at that time there was very little isotopic data for other human remains from Iran, and none covering the same time periods as these ''mummies.'' Nor do we have much comparative faunal isotopic data from which to interpret these data.…”

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confidence: 95%

“…Most relevant is the work of Bocherens et al (2000), with some modern and archeological data from three sites on the Qazvin Plain (Sagzabad, Qabrestan, and Zagheh), located between Zanjan and Tehran, and Bocherens et al (2006), with data from southern Turkmenistan. By comparing the average values of the ''salt men'' with generic isotopic trophic level diagrams, we observed in Pollard et al (2008) that these remains had higher d…”

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confidence: 97%

“…1 is more poorly dated, to between 220 and 390 cal AD, and Mummy no. 2 to between 430 and 570 cal AD (Pollard et al, 2008). The excavations carried out at the mine, and a preliminary report of the finds, are described in Aali (submitted).…”

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confidence: 98%

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The Chehr Abad “Salt men” and the isotopic ecology of humans in ancient Iran

Ramaroli

Hamilton

Ditchfield

et al. 2010

American J Phys Anthropol

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We have carried out isotopic analysis (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) on five salt-preserved bodies from the salt mine at Chehr Abad, Iran, dating from the 4th C. BC through to the 4th C. AD. In an attempt to identify the geographical origins of these people, we have analyzed over a hundred archeological bone samples from various archeological sites in Iran. From the faunal remains, we observe that the entire ecosystem appears to be enriched in (15)N, which we suggest is due to the semi-arid nature of the region. We have also observed a number of cattle remains from one site (Nargas Tepe) which have a significant C(4) component to their diet from the 4th millennium BC. By combining our data with those published by [Bocherens et al.: Environ Archaeol 5 (2000) 1-19; Bocherens et al.: J Arch Sci 33 (2006) 253-264], we suggest that two of the "mummies" may have come from the Tehran/Qazvin Plain region (i.e., relatively local to the salt mine), and a further two appear on isotopic grounds to have come from the northeast of Iran or the Turkmenistan steppes. The fifth (no. 4), the best preserved, appears to have come from further afield. Collectively, these mummies and their contexts augment our knowledge of social mobility and technical innovation in Iran during the Achaemenid period.

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The Chehr Abad “Salt men” and the isotopic ecology of humans in ancient Iran

Ramaroli

Hamilton

Ditchfield

et al. 2010

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…As discussed by Pollard et al [3], the mine seems to have been worked in at least two periods, the Achaemenid (559 -330 BCE) and the Sassnian (224 BCE -651 CE). Three of the bodies found have been dated to about 400 BCE and may be the remains of miners killed in an earthquake-induced mine collapse at that time.…”

Section: Description Of Textile Specimensmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These appear to be the remains of workers who were trapped or crushed by cave-ins some 2000 ± 400 years ago [1][2][3]. Because of the dryness of the site and the salty environment, these remains, as well as numerous other organic objects, including textile fragments, were well preserved.…”

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confidence: 99%

Analysis of dyes in textiles from the Chehrabad salt mine in Iran

et al. 2014

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This study describes the analysis of dyes from three textile specimens associated with human remains found in the Chehrabad salt mine in northwestern Iran dating to 2000 ± 400 years BP. They are unique for this part of the world not only because of their age, but because they represent textiles used by common people (salt miners) as opposed to funerary garments of the wealthy. Samples of yarns from these specimens were extracted and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array and mass spectrometric detection. The red dye was obtained from madder (specifically Rubia tinctorum L.), and the blue was from an indigo plant, probably woad (Isatis tinctoria L.), both of which are known in Iran. Two yellow, plant-derived, flavonol dyes were found. The first seems to be from a species of tamarisk (Tamarix sp.), whereas the second, found in both yellow and green yarns, is from a so-far unidentified plant. This work represents the first detailed study of these salt mine dyes, and the first evidence for the use of tamarisk as a dyestuff.

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Techniques of Art and Architecture

Nagel¹

2021

A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire

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Below the Salt: A Preliminary Study of the Dating and Biology of Five Salt-Preserved Bodies from Zanjan Province, Iran

Cited by 16 publications

References 20 publications

The Chehr Abad “Salt men” and the isotopic ecology of humans in ancient Iran

The Chehr Abad “Salt men” and the isotopic ecology of humans in ancient Iran

Analysis of dyes in textiles from the Chehrabad salt mine in Iran

Techniques of Art and Architecture

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