Salt men’s Residence to Undergo Further Excavation

10 August 2005

The mine in Zanjan province where the four Iranian salt men where discovered will probably undergo further excavations.

The Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) department of Zanjan province and the Archaeology Research Center of ICHTO have entered talks with the Ministry of Industries and Mines to undertake a new series of excavations and studies in the mine.

According to Masud Azarnush, director of ICTHO Research Center, the mine is a private property and according to the law, to continue work there, the damages to the owner should be compensated.

So far four salt men have been discovered in Chehr Abad mine, 75 kilometers west of Zanjan. They are considered one of the key recent archaeological finds in Iran.

Experts believe that further excavations in the mine would lead to the discovery of new bodies and more historical remains. They now await the consent of the mine proprietor and the Ministry of Industries and Mines to restart their work there.