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
GGG Ping.
I'd be glad to post that on eBay for them.
Nope. stringer tribes who were followed by the riser clans and there offspring the some what flat treads tribes.
Cool! I think it's neat the way different environments preserve wood, or don't. Like the "Vasa" being sunk in the Baltic Sea, where there's not enough salinity for woodworms.
you would think it would be hard to miss a 3000 year old staircase.
BTTT
Those stinkin' Austrians will steal anything.
Probably needs new carpeting by now.
There should be tools and other items to be found there as well.
Yeah, maybe a skilsaw or a craftsman router.
WOW!! I was in Hallstatt 10 days ago! A gorgeous village on the Lake. I even bought salt there! Report would have had no revelance for me if I had not just been there.Travel is so enlightening.
Saving this for later perusing. Should have known I would see you two here!
I was wondering where I lost it. Can I have it baaaack?
There's a lady who knows........
pics?
Why do these wonderful discoveries never have photographs?
Hiya gorgeous!!! how've ya been. How's whatsisname?
Stairway to heaven?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.