Leather Bag from Hallstatt

Bronze Age. 13th Century AD. Salt mine at Hallstatt, Upper Austria.

Organic materials, such as this leather bag, could only be preserved for over 3,000 years in the prehistoric mine at Hallstatt – an archeological sensation.

WHITE GOLD
Hallstatt’s salt mine is the world’s most famous prehistoric mine. The white gold has been mined here for over 3,500 years. Even in the Bronze Age, the mining operation was extensive, with shafts over a hundred meters deep sunk into the mountain.
The preservative action of the salt kept even organic materials like leather, wood, and material intact over millennia – true treasures for the archeologist. Together with other mining equipment, they permit detailed reconstruction of Bronze Age mining techniques, and tell us much about the hard life of the miners.
The NHM has been excavating in the prehistoric mine since the 1960s, and this leather bag was discovered in 1985. In all, five almost intact bags made of cowhide have been found to date, able to carry up to 30 kilograms of salt.
Such bags were used to carry the salt to the collection points in the mine halls. The carrying strap could be adjusted for the exact body size. A clever carrying device meant that the bags could be emptied with a movement of one hand, without having to take them off. However, this was only effective if the bag was used for an extended period without interruption, indicating strict division of labor and exactly regulated working schedules in the Bronze Age mine.