It is the first discovery of Neanderthal remains in Serbia. All Paleolithic sites in the Central Balkans, including discoveries in the Nišava valley, have the noticeable absence of the Aurignacian layers. That points to the theory that the expansion of the early modern humans into Europe occurred via the Danube corridor, which allowed for the small Neanderthal communities to survive beyond 40,000 BP in some isolated pockets. The Celts called it a Fairy river. The valley of the river is rich in Byzantine artefacts, and many monasteries, active, or in ruins. The Nišava valley is part of a major natural route that from ancient times has connected Europe and Asia: the route follows the valleys of the Morava, Nišava and Maritsa and onwards towards Constantinople, present-day Istanbul. During the Roman period, the road was known as Via Militaris, and later as the Tsarigrad Road. Both the Belgrade-Sofia-Istanbul road and the railway follow this route. Importance After being divided into districts in 1992, the Nišava District (with Niš as administrative center) is named after the river. Nishava Cove in Rugged Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Nišava. In 2008, cultivation of various aromatic and medicinal herbs began in the Serbian section of the Nišava watershed and the valleys of its tributaries. In time, lavender became the major crop, spreading on numerous hills and mountain slopes. Other herbs include Roman chamomile, dwarf everlast, lemon balm, hyssop and Damask rose. Modified Mediterranean micro-climate in the valley, spreading from Greece and North Macedonia through the Niš and Leskovac basins in the South Morava valley, suits the herbs, so as the ph-neutral limestone terrain and altitude from . Numerous eco-plantations and oil distilleries were built. By 2020, the region became known as Serbian Provence. The region was famous for its vineyards, which were neglected for a long time, but by the 2020s they also experienced new boom. Planting of orchards also expanded. In some parts of the valley, lemon and banana trees are planted. The area used to be known for sirene production, too. Number of once poplar breed of Svrljig sheep dwindled. See also PIM "Ivan Milutinović", Belgrade, Serbia ; Morava - Vardar (Axios) Navigation Route (About 1,200 km shorter route (three days shorter time of navigation) from Belgrade to Port of Thessaloniki than across Danube, Black Sea and Aegean Sea. Electric power production, improvement of water quality and regulation