From March 25 to 28, the University of Rzeszów is hosting the 5th World Congress on the Anthropology of Salt. This prestigious scientific event brings together researchers from four continents, providing a unique platform for the exchange of knowledge and insights into the historical significance of salt in human civilization.

The Congress is an international and cyclical event. The first edition was held in Romania in 2015, followed by subsequent gatherings in Mexico (2017), Spain (2018), and the United States (2022). This year’s conference is a collaborative effort of the University of Rzeszów, the University of West Alabama, the Museum of Krakow Saltworks in Wieliczka, and the Rzeszów Archaeological Center Foundation.

More than 70 scholars from countries including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, Colombia, Poland, Romania, the United States, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom are participating in the event.

The conference features experts from diverse fields such as archaeology, history, linguistics, ethnography, geology, theology, museology, and cultural anthropology. Participants will share their research findings on the role of salt in historical, cultural, and social contexts.

Following the Rzeszów sessions, a special scientific session will be held on March 28 at the Museum of Krakow Saltworks in Wieliczka, followed by a guided tour of the renowned Wieliczka Salt Mine.

The event is held under the honorary patronage of Professor Adam Reich, Rector of the University of Rzeszów; Władysław Ortyl, Marshal of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; and Konrad Fijołek, President of Rzeszów.

The primary organizers of the Congress are Dr Maciej Dębiec from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Rzeszów and Professor Ashley A. Dumas from the University of West Alabama, who previously visited the University of Rzeszów in 2022 under the Fulbright Specialist Program.

Photo by Michał Święcicki