Prehistoric research in Bulgaria: new challenges

Peshtera, April 2006

Organizing Committee: Prof. Dr. Sc. Vassil Nikolov, Director of IAM-BAS; Dimiter Pavlov, MA, Director of Pesthera Museum of History; Dr. Maria Gurova, Senior Research Associate, Head of Prehistory Department, IAM-BAS.
Executive Committee: Dr. Maria Gurova, Dr. Victoria Petrova, Tatiana Stefanova, Elka Anastassova (IAM-BAS).
Session Proposals: Pre-Neolithic period in Bulgaria; Neolithization of the Balkans in the light of new research in Bulgaria; Neolithic and Chalcolithic in Bulgaria: from the artifact to the social and cultural settlement interpretations; Supraregional interrelations and contacts between the prehistoric cultures; Interdisciplinary research: landscape, dating, GIS, archaeozoology, archaeobotany; Mortuary practices and rites; Theoretical research in prehistory.

Prehistory Department of IAM-BAS approved Dr. Maria Gurova’s suggestion and decided to resume the national topical conferences in prehistory that had been a tradition of the past. The need for that comes from the extensive archaeological research and huge information stream, which rationalization has become an unchanging part of the archaeological professionalism. The challenges of the near future, which will impose new working standards, demand a sound empirical and theoretical basis and unanimity between researchers. Prehistory Department of IAM-BAS recognizes the need for debates and hopes for positive results of a creative and well-balanced venue; it launches the idea of the next national conference, which would be held with the help and cooperation of IAM-BAS represented by its Director, Prof. Dr. Sc. Vassil Nikolov, and Peshtera Museum of History represented by its Director, Dimiter Pavlov, MA.

Maria Gurova