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Salt has been mined in Hallstatt for around 7000 years. The Hallstatt mining halls were around 300 metres long and 30 metres wide. Two catastrophic mudslides and mountain pressure have closed these largest prehistoric mines that have ever been documented. However, the archaeologists from the Natural History Museum Vienna, who have been digging in Hallstatt for 60 years, have delved deep into the former underground world with numerous research tunnels.<\/p>\n
And thanks to modern technology, they can now make the old tunnels and halls accessible to the public. VR makes it possible. With the help of goggles and controllers, recreational cave explorers will in future be able to move through a deceptively realistic recreation of a mining world. And without having to enter the real mountain.<\/p>\n
Equipped with virtual reality goggles and two controllers, visitors can now follow in the footsteps of Bronze Age salt workers. Everyday life in the salt mine from around 1,300 BC was recreated for the visualisations. Every detail, from the mine rooms and tunnels to clothing, tools and processes, is based on decades of archaeological research. You can navigate through the gigantic halls using the controller and click on the objects you find. For example, one of the many pieces of bacon that can be found in the virtual mining hall. With a click, the visitor learns that Hallstatt was the largest meat producer in Europe during the Bronze Age.<\/p>\n