• The workshops and laboratories: this is where the objects are restored and selected objects are prepared for the exhibition.
• The workrooms for research: here the history of the objects is studied and the materials are analysed.
• The depots: This is where the collections are stored.

This is why we bring the backstage work to the stage. In the Iranian National Museum in Tehran and the Zanjan Saltmen and Archaeological Museum, visitors can look over the restorers' shoulders as they professionally clean and examine the Salt Men.

A quick look inside the depots shows that a large part of the collections are not shown in the exhibitions. These carefully preserved finds give us clues about life 2500 years ago: What did the people wear? What did they eat? How did they work?The museum team puts together the most interesting objects to tell visitors exciting stories from the world of the Salt Men.

More than 1000 words

The Salt Men have many stories to tell. They are like data carriers whose information we have to decode. But we, the researchers and visitors, are not just silent spectators and listeners. We have to ask questions, so that the Salt Men reveal their stories. What do we feel when we see the Salt Men in the exhibition? What do we want to learn from them?

Do we disturb their resting place? They were buried in the salt mine for centuries and suddenly they are in the spotlight. Is it ok that we present the Salt Men in the exhibition?

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