Marius Alexianu, Roxana-Gabriela Curcă, Ștefan Caliniuc, Izvoarele sărate din România exploatate în neolitic și eneolitic. O propunere pentru Lista Patrimoniului Mondial / The Romanian salt springs exploited in the Neolithic and Eneolithic. A proposal for the World Heritage List

The importance of the Romanian salt springs for the historical development of the human communities of inland Europe is manifest. Exploited for over eight millennia, and providing world’s earliest evidence for the production of recrystallized salt, the Romanian salt springs also stand out from among other similar sites in Europe on account of their uninterrupted use to this day. These resilient behaviours constitute a reference point for the intangible heritage of mankind. The variegated forms of association between this intangible and the tangible heritage of the Romanian salt springs can offset the often implicit ‘monumental’ criterion for World Heritage inclusion, for which we make a case. In furthering this goal, it is foremost necessary to raise awareness among the local communities and the wider public, as well as the national and international cultural and scientific establishments. We find that for at least the last two decades this direction has been pursued, as evidenced by the increase in interdisciplinary research and highlighting of the role played by the salt springs in the development of the human communities from the respective areas.