One of Europe’s earliest prehistoric salt mines and settlements (5500-4300 B.C) was unearthed near the town of Provadia. Salt was so valuable at the time that it had to be protected well which in turn brought to a major leap in military developments. Research of the archaeological complex began in 2005 as a collaboration between the National Archaeological Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the History Museum of Provadia and partners. The leader of the research team was Prof. Dr. Vassil Nikolov. Currently also Vice President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the outstanding researcher will share his excitement at the discovery.
Corresponding member Vassil Nikolov was elected Vice-President of the Academy at a General Assembly meeting in 2017. The historian specialised in Archaeology at Sofia University. His scientific interests are in the New Stone Age, the Stone-Copper and the Early Bronze Age (VI-III millennium BC) in the Bulgarian lands, Northwest Asia Minor and South-eastern Europe. A scholar with a wealth of terrain archaeological experience, he recognizes and explores new types of prehistoric objects on the Balkans – the Neolithic and Chalcolithic pit sanctuaries. He has discovered and investigated Europe’s prehistoric salt extraction centre, Provadia-Solnitsa. He is the author of 11 independent and collective monographs and over 220 articles and studies in Bulgarian and foreign scientific editions. The number of established quotations is over 1800, half of which are in publications of foreign authors. He has been working at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences since 1984 at the National Archaeological Institute with Museum, including as Director of the Institute. Vassil Nikolov is an honorary member of the Humboldt Union in Bulgaria and was its chairman for two terms of office.
Dedicated to the 150th Anniversary of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.