Archaeologists are now closer than ever to unraveling the mysteries of an ancient Iranian salt mine, where the remains of miners, preserved in shocking poses, have been found in a state of grim, suspended animation. These so-called "Saltmen," some frozen mid-scream, were buried alive in the mine thousands of years ago, most dating back to the Achaemenid Dynasty (550–330 BC), the first empire to rule over what is now Iran. A groundbreaking new study suggests the history of this mine stretches even further back in time - possibly over 4,000 years earlier - based on newly discovered settlements nearby! Unearthing A Catastrophic Mine Collapse Eight mummified Saltmen have been unearthed from this site to date, most of them from the Achaemenid period, an era when Persia’s vast empire stretched from Egypt in the west to the Indus River Valley in the east. According to the new study published in Journal of World Prehistory, the mine was abandoned after a catastrophic collapse around 405–380 BC, which claimed the lives of three miners. While operations halted for nearly 200 years, the collapse provided archaeologists with exceptionally preserved remains of the miners—offering an almost forensic snapshot of ancient human activity at the site. Read moreSection: NewsHistory & ArchaeologyAncient PlacesAsiaHistoryImportant EventsRead Later