Salin was originally an art historian, but was interested in prehistoric archaeology, and as an archaeologist he participated including at the excavation in Siretorp in Blekinge in 1915.
Salin var ursprungligen konsthistoriker, men intresserade sig för förhistorisk arkeologi, och som arkeolog deltog han bland annat vid utgrävningen i Siretorp i Blekinge 1915.