Abolfazl Aali

Archaeological Museum of Zanjan,Iran

The Douzlākh salt deposit (region: Māhneshān, Zanjān Province, Iran) is unique for its pure and crystal rock salt and was an important supplier of culinary (‘table’) salt in Achaemenid, Sassanid and Middle Islamic times. At the same time, the site was of central importance to the economic life of the rural populations in the Talkherud Basin. This a...

Objective This study reports coccidian oocysts in an equid coprolite dated to the Sassanid Empire (2nd–6th century CE) recovered in Chehrabad Salt Mine archaeological site, Iran. Methods Between 2015 and 2017, an archaeoparasitological investigation led to the discovery of an equid coprolite in the Chehrabad Salt Mine archeological site, (Douzlakh...

A fecal pellet was recovered in an ancient salt mine in Chehrabad located in western Iran (36.55° N, 47.51° E). Based on prior publications showing the success of the salt mine's environment to preserve various life forms, it was decided to try and ascertain whether this faex contained any parasites of paleoparasitologic interest. The rehydration i...

This article presents a digital reconstruction of Salt man 4 (405–380 BCE), a salt miner’s mummy found in the Douzlākh salt mine (Chehrābād, northern Iran). The mummy and its costume are relatively well preserved because the salt mine offers good preservation conditions for organic finds. Salt man 4 is unique in that his garments are a complete set...

Computed tomography studies and histological analyses were performed on the mummified remains found in the Chehrābād salt mine in northwestern Iran. The ancient salt mummies are dated to the Achaemenid (550–330 BC) and Sassanid (3rd–7th century AD) time period and died in mining incidents. The aim of the study was to describe the radiological and h...

Mummified remains have long attracted interest as a potential source of ancient DNA. However, mummification is a rare process that requires an anhydrous environment to rapidly dehydrate and preserve tissue before complete decomposition occurs. We present the whole genome sequences of a ~1600 year old naturally mummified sheep recovered from Chehrāb...

Background: The ancient Chehrabad Salt mine, a well-known archaeological site in Iran, has recently received increasing interest from Iranian and international archeologists. Also, the biological remains from this site have provided valuable sources for studying the pathogenic agents of ancient times. This study aimed to identify the parasitic hel...

e Chehrābād Salt Mine mummies were first discovered in 1993. So far, six individuals have been identified in the mine. three (1, 2, and 3) were found accidentally by miners, while another three (4, 5, and 6) were discovered through systematic archaeological excavations. This article shows that there are two more individuals represented in the colle...

Archaeological surveys of Qeshm Island conducted in 2006 and 2012 have identified a total of 191 archaeological sites dating from prehistoric to late Islamic times and provided new insights into the ancient settlement of the island. Among the identified sites, seven (three settlements and four cemeteries) can be attributed to the Bronze Age, repres...

Abstract Present paper is the second publication introducing the paleoparasitological findings from animal coprolites obtained from archeological site of Chehrabad salt mine in northwestern Iran. The current archeological site is located in northwest of Iran , dated to the Sassanian Era (4th/5th century CE).In the summer 2012 the carnivore coproli...

To study pathologies, peri- and postmortal alterations as well as the general preservation state of an ancient Iranian salt mummy. Several mummified remains from two different time periods (1500-2500 BP) were found in the Chehrābād salt mine in Iran. Computed tomography was performed on Salt Man #4 (410-350 BC), the best preserved out of the six sa...

This study describes the analysis of dyes from three textile specimens associated with human remains found in the Chehrabad salt mine in northwestern Iran dating to 2000 ± 400 years BP. They are unique for this part of the world not only because of their age, but because they represent textiles used by common people (salt miners) as opposed to fune...

In this paper, paleoparasitological findings from rodent excrements obtained from Chehrabad Salt Mine archeological site located in northwest of Iran are demonstrated and discussed. Chehrabad Salt Mine archeological site located in northwest of Iran, dated to the Achaemenid (mid 1(st) mill. BCE) and to Sassanid (3(rd) cent. - 7(th) cent. CE) period...

Paleoparasitological analyses were performed on soil samples recovered from an ancient salt mine in Chehrabad, northwestern Iran (2500 and 1500 years BP). Parasite extraction led to the recovery of a large variety of human and animal parasites, including whipworm (Trichuris sp.), roundworm (Ascaris sp.), tapeworm (Taenia sp. or Echinococcus sp.), l...

Abstract Tapeworm eggs from the genus Taenia sp. were identified during the study of mummy remains dated to 2,286±28 BP from the Chehrabad salt mine in northwestern Iran. The presence of tapeworm in this salt mine provides paleopathological information. Moreover, it brings new information on ancient diet, indicating the consumption of raw or underc...

The Abharroud basin is an important region in archaeological studies of the northwestern outskirts of the central plateau, and the west and northwest ofIran. Considering its environmental capabilities and geographical location, studying the region can leads us to a better understanding of regional relations and also inter-regional interaction betwe...

During 2004, 2005, and 2010 scientific excavations took place at the salt mine of Chehrābād. According to the work conducted and further scientific investigations, the beginning of salt exploitation dates to the mid-first millennium BC. Some indications possibly hint to mining activities during the Late Arsacid period. Salt extraction certainly was...

We have carried out isotopic analysis (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) on five salt-preserved bodies from the salt mine at Chehr Abad, Iran, dating from the 4th C. BC through to the 4th C. AD. In an attempt to identify the geographical origins of these people, we have analyzed over a hundred archeological bone samples from various archeological sites in Iran. F...

We describe the finding of five male bodies from the salt mine of Chehr Abad, Zanjan province, Iran. Radiocarbon determinations suggests that two of the bodies date to the late Sassanian period, while the other three died sometime between 410 B.C. and 350 B.C. We speculate that these deaths may have been the result of an earthquake between 405–380...