The Saltmen (Persian: مردان نمکی, written in the Roman alphabet as mardān-e namakī) are the preserved remains of several humans found in the Chehrabad salt mines. These mines are located in the southern part of the Hamzehlu village, on the west side of the city of Zanjan, in Zanjan Province, Iran. By 2010, remains of six men had been discovered. Most of them were accidentally killed when tunnels they were working in collapsed. The head and left foot of Saltman 1 are displayed at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran.

Discovery

In the winter of 1993, miners discovered a body with long hair, a beard, and several items. These included a body’s remains, a lower leg in a leather boot, three iron knives, a woolen half trouser, a silver needle, a sling, parts of a leather rope, a grindstone, a walnut, pottery pieces, fabric fragments with patterns, and broken bones. The body was placed in the center of a tunnel about 45 meters (148 feet) long.

In 2004, another salt miner found the remains of a second man. In 2005, archaeologists uncovered the remains of two more well-preserved men. In 2006, the Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency worked with the German Mining Museum in Bochum, Germany. In 2007, they partnered with the University of Oxford and the Swiss University of Zurich to study the site thoroughly. A scientific research project was started, supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and British funding. Four bodies, including a teenager and a woman, are now displayed at the Archeology Museum (Zolfaghari House) in Zanjan. A sixth body found in 2010 was left in the salt mine. Three hundred fabric pieces were discovered, some still showing designs and colors. In 2008, the Ministry of Industries and Mines stopped the mining activity in the area.

Research

Archaeological studies, including carbon dating of bones and textiles, showed that the Saltman lived about 1,700 years ago. Testing a hair sample revealed his blood type was B+.

Three-dimensional scans created by a team led by Jalal Jalal Shokouhi showed fractures near the eye and other injuries caused by a strong hit before death. The Saltman had long hair and a beard, and a golden earring in his left ear suggests he may have held a high position or had influence. The reason he was in the Chehrabad salt mine and why he died there is still unknown.

Three of the saltmen were dated to the Parthian (247 BCE–224 CE) and Sasanian (224–651 CE) periods, while the others were from the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BCE).

A 2012 research paper reported that a 2,200-year-old mummy from Chehrabad had tapeworm eggs from a type called Taenia in his intestine. This discovery provides new information about ancient diets, showing that raw or undercooked meat was likely eaten. It also marks the earliest known evidence of intestinal parasites in Iran and adds to what is known about diseases affecting the stomach and intestines in West Asia.