Archaeologists uncover a vast Iron Age salt mine hidden beneath Hallstatt
Iron Age salt-mining complex found beneath Hallstatt in Austria
Core drilling beneath Hallstatt has revealed not one giant cavern but a network of parallel chambers stretching at least 300 meters, some stacked above others and following the mountain's natural salt deposits. Floors hold up to nine meters of mining waste — burnt pine splinters, broken tools, clothing fragments and human waste — preserved by the salt, offering a rare window into daily life inside an Iron Age mine.
Instead of one huge underground space, researchers found several chambers running parallel to one another. Some lie above or below others, forming a large mining complex.