All mines quest regular reinforcement against collapse, together with Hallstatt, the world's oldest tabular array salt mine perched inwards the Austrian Alps, is no exception. But Hallstatt isn't similar other mines.
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| Exploited for 7,000 years, its earthworks has yielded non exclusively a steady furnish of tabular array salt exactly also archaeological discoveries attesting to the being of a rich civilisation dating dorsum to the early on part of the showtime millennium BC [Credit: AFP/Alex Halada] |
So far less than 2 per centum of the prehistoric tunnel network is idea to conduct maintain been explored, alongside the novel circular of reinforcement work, which began this month, protecting the dig's achievements, according to primary archeologist Hans Reschreiter.
"Like inwards all the mines, the mount puts pressure level on the tunnels together with they could cave inwards if zip is done," Reschreiter told AFP.
Hallstatt was recognised equally a UNESCO World Heritage site inwards 1997 together with the operate aims to protect it for "future generations", said Thomas Stelzer, governor of Upper Republic of Austria field where the mine is located.
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| Towering over a natural lake—today frequented past times masses of tourists, peculiarly from Asia, who come upward to admire the picture-perfect Alpine scenery—the Hallstatt mine lies to a greater extent than than 800 metres (2,600 feet) inwards a higher house sea level [Credit: AFP/Alex Halada] |
The vast deposit of sea tabular array salt within was left past times the body of body of water that covered the percentage about 250 1000000 years ago.
Among the most striking archaeological discoveries was that of an eight-metre-long wooden staircase dating dorsum to 1100 BC, the oldest such staircase constitute inwards Europe.
"It was thus good preserved that nosotros could accept it apart together with reassemble it," Reschreiter said.
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| "Thousands of bodies conduct maintain been excavated, almost all flaunting rich bronze ornaments, typically worn past times exclusively the wealthiest," Reschreiter said. "The remains bore the marks of hard physical labour... spell also showing signs of unequalled prosperity" [Credit: AFP/Alex Halada] |
In the mid-19th century, excavations revealed a necropolis that showed the site's prominence during the early on Iron Age.
The civilisation became known equally "Hallstatt culture", ensuring the site's fame.
"Thousands of bodies conduct maintain been excavated, almost all flaunting rich bronze ornaments, typically worn past times exclusively the wealthiest," Reschreiter said. "The remains bore the marks of hard physical labour from childhood, spell also showing signs of unequalled prosperity."
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| Among the most striking archaeological discoveries was that of an eight-metre-long wooden staircase dating dorsum to 1100 BC, the oldest such staircase constitute inwards Europe [Credit: AFP/Alex Halada] |
Testifying to this are sword handles made of African ivory together with Mediterranean vino bowls constitute at the site.
H5N1 minute serial of excavations—started past times Vienna's Museum of Natural History about lx years ago—produced to a greater extent than surprises.
In tunnels to a greater extent than than 100 metres below the surface, archaeologists discovered "unique evidence" of mining activeness at an "industrial" scale during the Bronze Age, Reschreiter said.
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| Along alongside wooden retaining structures to a greater extent than than 3,000 years quondam which were perfectly conserved past times the salt, the earthworks unearthed tools, leather gloves together with a rope equally good equally the remains of millions of wooden torches [Credit: AFP/Alex Halada] |
Also used past times Celts together with during the Roman era when tabular array salt was used to pay legions stationed along the Danube River—it is the beginning of the discussion "salary"—the mine has never stopped working since prehistoric times.
Today, nearly forty people even thus operate there, using high-pressure H2O to extract the equivalent of 250,000 tonnes of tabular array salt per year.
"Salt doesn't conduct maintain the same value equally inwards antiquity anymore. But about of its novel uses, such equally inwards the pharmaceutical together with chemic industries, are even thus highly profitable," said Kurt Thomanek, technical manager of tabular array salt supplier Salinen Austria.
Tourism linked to the archaeological discoveries is also "a pillar of our activities", Thomanek added.
Last year, about 200,000 people visited the Hallstatt mine.
Source: AFP [August 24, 2018]
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