The Antiquaries Journal, 83, 2003, pp 123-94 THE ECONOMY OF DURRNBERG-BEI-HALLEIN: AN IRON AGE SALT-MINING CENTRE IN THE AUSTRIAN ALPS Thomas Stollner, with contributions from Horst Aspock, Nicole Boenke, Claus Dobiat, Hans-Jurgen Gawlick, Willy Groenman-van Waateringe, Walter Irlinger, Katharina von Kurzynski, Richard Lein, Wolfgang Lobisser, Klaus Locker, Vincent Megaw, FSA, Ruth Megaw, FSA, Graham Morgan, FSA, Erich Pucher and Trivun Sormaz* * Thomas Stollner, Fachbereich Montanarchdologie, Deutsches Bergbau-Museum, Hernerstrasse 45, D-44787 Bochum, Germany. E-mail: < [email protected] > . (TS) Horst Aspock, Abteilung fur Medizinische Parasitologie, Klinisches Institut fur Hygiene und Medizinische Mikrobiologie der Universitdt, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1095 Vienna, Austria. E-mail: <[email protected]>. (HA) Nicole Boenke, Institut der KAL, Schloss Biebrich-Ostflugel, Rheingaustrasse 140, D-65203 Wiesbaden, Germany. E-mail: < [email protected] >. (NB) Claus Dobiat, Vorgeschichtliches Seminar, Philipps-Universitdt Marburg, Biegenstrasse 11, D-35032 Marburg, Germany. E-mail: <[email protected]>. (CD) Hans-Jurgen Gawlick, Montanuniversitdt Leoben, Institut fur Geowissenschaften: Prospektion und Angewandte Sedimentologie, Peter-Tunner-Strasse 5, A-8700 Leoben, Austria. E-mail: <[email protected]>. (HG) Willy Groenman-van Waateringe, Universiteit van Amsterdam, A AC, Nieuwe Prinsengracht 130, NL-1018 VZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: < [email protected] >. (WG) Walter Irlinger, Bodendenkmalpflege, Referat BI, Bayerisches Landesamt fur Denkmalpflege, Hofgraben 4, D-80549 Munich, Germany. E-mail: < [email protected] >. (WI) Katharina von Kurzynski, Vorgeschichtliches Seminar, Philipps-Universitdt Marburg, Biegenstrasse 11, D-35032 Marburg, Germany. E-mail: < [email protected] >. (K v K) Richard Lein, Geozentrum, Universitdt Wien, Althanstrasse, A-lopo Vienna, Austria. E-mail: <[email protected]>. (RL) Wolfgang Lobisser, Institut fur Vor- und Fruhgeschichte, Universitdt Wien, Franz-Klein-Gasse I, A-1190 Vienna, Austria. E-mail: <[email protected]>. (WL) Klaus Locker, Institut fur Vor- und Fruhgeschichte, Universitdt Wien, Franz-Klein-Gasse 1, A-1190 Vienna, Austria. E-mail: <[email protected]>. (KL) Vincent Megaw, FSA, Department of Archaeology, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, Australia. E-mail: < [email protected] >. (VM) Ruth Megaw, FSA, Department of Archaeology, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, Australia. (RM) (continued) Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. University of Basel Library, on 10 Jul 2017 at 15:03:40, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581500077684 124 THE ANTIQUARIES JOURNAL For the first time in English, we present a summary of the international programme of excavation work carried out between 1990 and 2001 in and around the Iron Age salt-mining complex of the Diirrnberg region, south of Salzburg. First we describe the results of excavation in the prehistoric adits, and of work to locate and survey associated settlements. This is followed by a series of specialist reports embracing floral and faunal remains, palaeodiet and parasitology, leather and woodworking and other crafts. The evidence suggests that a complex inter-relationship existed between the Diirrnberg and other communities in the Alpine foreland. It is assumed that the Diirrnberg was under the control of an elite - perhaps a local dynasty whose wealth is reflected in the graves. INTRODUCTION The ancient salt-mining complex of the Diirrnberg is one of the most important archaeological sites of the European Iron Age. This fascinating site has long attracted scholars because of the outstanding survival of a range of archaeological material and flora and fauna, presenting a panoramic picture of the economic life of a complex society over a period of more than 500 years.1 Bad Diirrnberg is located near the small town of Hallein, situated south of Salzburg, in Austria. Geologically the region is part of the Northern Calcareous Alps. The Alpine salt deposits of the Diirrnberg (which have been the subject of new studies since 19962) are mostly Permian in age and represent precipitates laid down in a marine basin surrounded by alluvial fans and mudflats in a rift arm of the north-west Tethys Ocean (see figs 1, 2 and 3). Arid conditions are necessary for the development of such evaporites.3 In parts, these salt layers were forced upwards as a result of Late Jurassic tectonic movements during the early formation of the Alpine anticlines.4 As a result of this upward movement, Alpine salt deposits (known as Haselgebirge) now extend from the Tyrol in the west to the Viennese woods in the east. They consist of a mixture of 40 to 95 per cent sodium chloride (NaCl) together with clay and anhydrite or gypsum. The whole deposit is covered by a 20 to 40m layer of clay (basically leached-out Haselgebirge), which protects the salt deposits against further leaching by freshwater. On top of these malleable and movable salt deposits, and causing an even tectonic pressure on the salt, there are a number of calcareous outcrops, of which the most prominent is the Hahnrainkopf (1,026m: see fig 4). At the foot of the Hahnrainkopf, salt dissolved by water emerges in the form of brine springs, and these offered the prehistoric settlers of the region a clear indication that salt deposits lay beneath the surface.5 Many such springs are known in the Northern Calcareous Alps, but only in the Alpine Haselgebirge does the geology allow the underground salt to be mined. The clay residues of the Graham Morgan, FSA, School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LEi 2RH, UK. E-mail: <[email protected]>. (GM) Erich Pucker, Zoologische Abteilung, Arch-Zool Sammlung, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Burgring j, A-1014 Vienna, Austria. E-mail: <[email protected]>. (EP) Trivun Sormaz, Labor fur Dendrochronologie, Amt fur Stddtebau, Archdologie und Denkmalpflege, Seefeldstrasse 317, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland. E-mail: <[email protected]> and <www.dendrolabor.ch>. (Tr So) Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. University of Basel Library, on 10 Jul 2017 at 15:03:40, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581500077684 0 10 km Salzburg* NCA: Northern Calcareous Alps I 1 Young sediments (Late Cretaceous - Quaternary) Germany irTTTTTTTTTl Hallstatt Melange ^^ Lower Tirolic nappe P^g Upper Tirolic nappe [JIM Bavaric nappes ^H Saalach Zone Salt mine Hallein - Bad Durrnberg TR Trattberg Rise Fig i. The geographical and tectonic position of the Hallein-Bad Durrnberg salt mines (after Missoni et al 2001, Frisch and Gawlick 2001). Drawing: H-J Gawlick Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. University of Basel Library, on 10 Jul 2017 at 15:03:40, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581500077684 Quaternary RoGfeld and Schrambach Formation (Lower Cretaceous) Oberalm Formation (Tithonian-Berriasian) Zlambach Formation (Rhaetian) Hallstatt limestones (Late Ladinian - Sevatian) Middle Triassic dolomites, Zilldo- lomite/Steinalmdolomite (Anisian) Alpine Haselgebirge and Werfen beds (Late Permian - Skythian) old mines active mines a mi a nn = nn=1111=1111=nn iin=un= a nn a nn a nn=uu=nn = mi i a mi a nn = nn=mi=un = mi = nn = mi • nn aim = iin = un = = ini an = 1111=1111= nn = iui=1=1111=IIII = ini=nn = = ii!iBnu=iiii=nu = iiii = iiii = a mi • mi=mi=ui=IIII m mi SJK. II = mi = mi = mi = mi = mi = nm\ Fig 2. A simplified geological map of the Hallein-Hallstatt Zone in the area of Bad Diirrnberg. Cross-sections A-B: Jakobberg horizon (see fig 3a); C-D: Wolfdietrich horizon (see fig 3b); GB: Georgenberg horizon; OS: Obersteinberg horizon; JB: Jakobberg horizon; WD: Wolfdietrich horizon; ER: Egglriedel horizon (map after Pichler 1963, Plochinger 1955, 1987 and 1996, and Pytel in Gawlick et al 1999a; stratigraphic data from Gawlick and Lein 1997 and 2000, and Gawlick et al 1999a). Drawing: H-J Gawlick Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. University of Basel Library, on 10 Jul 2017 at 15:03:40, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581500077684 Jakobberg horizon ssw Hahnrain NNE Bad 900-, Durrnberg 700- m Wolfdietrich horizon B ssw Hahnrain NNE 1000-, Bad Durrnberg 800- 600- m Oberalm Formation (Late Jurassic) \f#ijij Steinalm Formation (Anisian) Allgau Formation (Early Jurassic) IjSjgj Gutenstein Formation (Anisian) Zlambach Formation (Rhaetian) Eggj Werfen beds (Skythian) Hallstatt limestone (Late Triassic) [^§§^ Alpine Haselgebirge (Permian) Halobia shale (early Late Triassic) |Syj|ej°| Breccia (unknown in age) Hallstatt limestone (Middle Triassic) ^"' Fault % Borehole Fig 3. Cross-sections of the Hallein-Bad Durrnberg salt mine (see fig 2). A: on the line of the Jakobberg horizon; B: the line of the Wolfdietrich horizon (after Gawlick and Lein 2000). Drawing: H-J Gawlick Downloaded from https:/www.cambridge.org/core. University of Basel Library, on 10 Jul 2017 at 15:03:40, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https:/www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003581500077684 128 THE ANTIQUARIES JOURNAL Fig 4. The Hahnrainkopf peak, located above the salt deposits: a view from the west. Significant sites in the location are marked. Photograph: Bayerische Landesamt fur Denkmalpflege, Archive-Nr 8344/005, SW 3453-12 (O Braasch) Alpine Haselgebirge are easy to work by following first the fault line of the contact carbonates and then the actual salt layers themselves. Mining activities have occurred in several periods. Despite stray finds suggesting local knowledge and usage of brine springs extending back to the Neolithic,6 in Hallstatt below- ground archaeological finds confirm a Late Bronze Age date for the beginning of salt extraction.