[1] Prehistoric finds on the edge of the old river bank terrace down the slopes of "Nad Ciganski Ključ" and "Selite" from the Neolithic period and Bronze Age show that Popovac belongs to very old villages.

The Turkish census of 1444/46 finds it as a spahiluk (timar) of Çakirdžibaša Umur with 11 houses, 1 widow and with dues in the amount of 1,325 akči.

[1] The old-timers in Popovac believe that a stronger flow of immigrants from the upper Ponišavlje settled in the village "during Turkish times", after whom some families still bear the name "Piroćanci".

Its location on a fertile plain, near Niš, provided conditions for the development of advanced and market-oriented agriculture, but the proximity of the city also encouraged the process of transformation into non-agricultural occupations, as well as the emergence of immigration.

The growth of non-agricultural occupations and the strengthening of daily migration both towards Niš and towards Popovac contributed to the establishment of a marshalling yard in the village.