Posted on 10/13/2004 7:36:05 PM PDT by blam
Europe's oldest wooden staircase found in Austria
Tue Oct 12, 1:05 PM ET Science - AFP
VIENNA (AFP) - A 3,000-year-old wooden staircase has been found at Hallstatt in northern Austria, immaculately preserved in a Bronze Age salt mine, Vienna's Natural History Museum said.
"We have found a wooden staircase which dates from the 13th century B.C. It is the oldest wooden staircase discovered to date in Europe, maybe even in the world," Hans Reschreiter, the director of excavations at the museum, told AFP.
"The staircase is in perfect condition because the micro-organisms that cause wood to decompose do not exist in salt mines," he added.
The staircase is about one metre (three feet) wide and is made of pine and spruce.
It was used, the acheologist said, during the Bronze Age to go down into the saltmine and was found some 100 metres (300 feet) below the surface.
The saltmine lies about 200 metres from a necropolis which was the seat of the so-called Hallstatt Civilisation, one of the most important and advanced of the Iron Age, that lived around 700 B.C.
"For the moment we have uncovered a piece of only about seven metres, but the staircase extends further down and up," Reschreiter said.
He said previously the oldest known wooden staircase in Europe dated back to the fifth century B.C
Well, as is typical with carpenters, there's also a part of an index finger here too. I don't suppose you know who this belongs to?
All that glitters is gold....
I saw Led Zepplin in their first concert/tour in the Filmore West in San Francisco.
In related news, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent an investigative team to the site and, after a brief inspection, determined the ladder violated 109 different regulations and imposed $304,500 in fines. OSHA posted the details of the 3000 year old ladder on it's intranet which set off alarm bells inside the American Association of Trial Lawyers which immediately began preparing a class action lawsuit against Morton Salt.
It is suspected there were no handrails on the ladder which led some to speculate the ladder did not meet minimum requirements as required by the American's With Disabilities Act. Morton Salt attorneys refuse to comment on the case.
I was there a few years ago. Neat place. Neat museum.
Diamonds ain't too bad either. LOL!
1967 perhaps?
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
Actually 3,000 years ago, there wouldn't have been Austrian Germans living in what is now Austria. It would have been either early Celtic (most likely) or pre-Celtic.
Also 6 empty PBR cans, some cigarette butts, and an empty baggie with rolling papers inside.
I thought "Hall" was a word for "salt", but in these latter days Germans call salt "Salz", so either it's an old word or I'm just Wrong, and Should Just Deal With It (an e-gf so notified me once...and that's not why she's ex, but that's getting waaay off-topic).
I was thinking 70-72, don't remember for sure. It's still the best concert I ever went to.
I think 'Hal' is the Celtic word for salt.
Aliens from Space built it
Yes-Hallstatt,Austria. Gorgeous!
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