Iran, Germany join for loan exhibit on ancient mining

Iran and Germany have teamed up holding two separate loan exhibitions featuring ancient mining and relevant documents of the two countries.

The exhibition hosted by the German Mining Museum in Bochum is titled “Death in Salt, an Archaeological Narrative of the Land of Persia” and the other organized by National Museum of Iran is named “Human Search for Resources.”

According to a MOU signed in 2017 between the two countries' museums, several loan exhibitions are set to be held on the historical and cultural artifacts related to the subject of ancient mining of Iran and Germany.

Due to the continuing limitations caused by the pandemic, the exhibitions are accessible virtually simultaneously through the websites of both museums for visitors around the world.

Regarding the exhibition of the Iranian collection, the virtual exhibition “Death in Salt, an Archaeological Narrative of the Land of Persia” deals with archeological research and findings of the Chehrabad salt mine in Zanjan, which is available on the German Mine Museum website in Bochum.

Regarding the exhibition “Human Search for Resources”, it can be viewed online on the website of the National Museum of Iran. In this exhibition, more than 200 objects related to mining history from twenty countries of the world have been displayed. This collection covers a very long history starting with Paleolithic objects up to the contemporary period.

In 1993, miners in the Douzlakh Salt Mine, near Hamzehli and Chehrabad villages in Zanjan province, accidentally came across a mummified head. The head was very well preserved with a reddish hair, beard, and mustaches and his pierced ear still holding the gold earring. Also, his impressive leather boot still contained parts of his leg and foot. 

MM/FM