Researchers have identified one of the oldest salt production sites in Europe, dating back over 7,000 years, near the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. The site features specialized ceramic vessels used for boiling brine and large ash deposits, indicating a massive scale of industrial activity during the Neolithic period.
This finding suggests that salt was a primary driver of trade and social complexity among early European farming communities. The ability to preserve food with salt allowed these populations to survive harsh winters and establish long-distance exchange networks for obsidian and copper.