site.btaBulgaria Presents Its Historical Provadia Saltworks in European Parliament

"Provadia-Solnitsata" (Provadia’s salt mines), the earliest salt mining and urban centre in Europe, will be presented with a poster exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences reports. The event will be hosted by Bulgarian EPP/GERB MEP Emil Radev. The exhibition is organized in partnership with the archaeological team under the leadership of Acad. Vasil Nikolov from the National Archaeological Institute and Museum of BAS, and the Historical Museum in Provadia, near Varna.

The exhibition "Provadia-Solnitsata: The Most Ancient Saltworks and Urban Centre in Europe (5600-4350 BC)'', will be officially opened on October 24 in the Yehudi Menuhin Hall of the European Parliament.

The remarkable cultural and historical heritage of Bulgaria and Europe will be presented by the President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Julian Revalski, by Acad. Vasil Nikolov and the entire archaeological team, which under his leadership, since 2005 has been carrying out field studies of "Provadia-Solnitsata".

The exposition includes 25 posters with photos and interesting information about the scientific discoveries and the unique findings of the archaeological site, which is located in the region of Provadia. Visitors will learn about the technology of salt extraction - the strategic raw material that turned the saltworks into the most ancient urban centre of Europe. The exhibition will showcase the prehistoric settlement defended by the first stone fortresses in Europe - an outstanding achievement of military theory and the art of building, as well as impressive evidence of trade relations and social hierarchy, in the region of the lower reaches of the Provadia River and the Varna Lakes, from 5600 to 4350 BC, BAS also reports.