Kingdom of Salt
7000 years of Hallstatt
For over 7000 years man has exploited salt in Hallstatt. Salt brought extraordinary wealth to this remote area in the Austrian alps.
The prehistoric salt mines as well as the Early Iron Age cemetery must be counted among the most important archaeological sites of Europe. The preserving conditions for organic material in the salt mines are virtually unique in Europe. Wooden tools, bast and grass ropes, leather, hide and fur, textiles, nut shells and even human excrements have been preserved in perfect state until today.
This "mine waste" represents an extraordinary data base and gives unique insights into the daily life of prehistoric man. This book presents the results of several decades of interdisciplinary research on the Hallstatt salt miners headed by the Natural History Museum Vienna.