A large-scale project related to the cultural and historical heritage of the archaeological complex Provadia-Solnitsata – one of the largest prehistoric sites in Bulgaria and the most ancient saltworks and urban center in Europe, has been launched on the initiative of the archaeological team led by Acad. Vassil Nikolov. The project is called “The Salt of Provadia: Innovative Approaches to the History of the Most Ancient Specialised Salt Production” and aims to “revive” the history of the most ancient urban centre on our continent which developed in the period around 4700-4350 BC before it perished due to drastic climatic changes.
A modern movable dome – an interactive space that will “animate” the antiquity before the eyes of the modern visitor will be erected at the foot of the settlement mound. The main focus will be the impressive presentation of the different stages of prehistoric salt production – from the extraction of salt water from the spring through its boiling in special ceramic vessels to the production of the precious salt bars with which the people of this most ancient city traded and accumulated wealth.
A digital reconstruction of the Saltworks in the form of an interactive 3D model will be built in the dome which will represent the prehistoric settlement, the defensive stone walls and the production areas. It will also include realistically scanned 3D models of the most significant finds unearthed during the excavation – artefacts that will come to life in a digital environment to tell the story of Europe’s first specialised saltworks and urban centre.
The Saltworks near Provadia has established itself as one of the most attractive and significant prehistoric sites in Europe thanks to the exceptional discoveries made during the archaeological research led by Acad. Vassil Nikolov. The excavations, which began in 2005, have gradually attracted scientists and researchers from Germany, France, Japan, the USA and other countries, turning the Saltworks into an international scientific platform for the study of the earliest saltworks activity and urban organization in Europe.
The current 21st archaeological season is in full swing, and in the words of Acad. Nikolov, the complex will soon become part of the European Salt Heritage Route under the auspices of the Council of Europe – a large-scale initiative uniting key sites related to the extraction and importance of salt in the history of the Old Continent.
