Thousands of years before cities and writing surfaced in Mesopotamia, the Danube River Basin in the Balkans was home to a flourishing civilization. Since their rediscovery in the 20th century, the prehistoric cultures of Lepenski Vir and Vinča have redrawn the map of ancient history, challenging established archaeology and chronology and fascinating the imagination. At the center of attention and controversy are the so-called "Vinča symbols," whose interpretations have drawn enthusiasm, denial, and - worst of all - silence. Faced with these mysterious signs from the depths of the Stone Age and the lost civilization that inscribed them in the heart of Europe, modern man finds himself wondering about his past, his present, and his future.In Vinča: The Signs and Fate of European Civilization, the visionary Serbian author Radivoje Pešić unveils a wide-ranging and provocative perspective on this forgotten world and script fated for impactful recollection. For the first time in a definitive English edition, Pešić takes the reader on a multi-dimensional journey through the open questions and hidden secrets of the ancient world. The spiritual landscapes encoded in the Vinča script, the enigmatic identities of the Pelasgians and the Etruscans, the twists and turns of Slavic history, and many other puzzles are charted anew in search of a rectified map of language, historical consciousness, and the rich heritage of the human spirit. Dusting off the books of life, nature, and scholarship, Pešić boldly endeavors to throw light on the links and disconnects between ancient cultures and modern crises.
