The discovery of a 25-foot ancient bridge submerged in a Spanish cave has rearranged the timeline of when humans first arrived in the Mediterranean. These new findings now suggest that humans settled there at least 5,600 years ago — much earlier than researchers previously estimated.
The study, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, analyzed the submerged stone bridge to settle a long archeological controversy about when humans crossed the western Mediterranean islands. Creating a historical timeline of when humans inhabited the Mediterranean islands has been difficult because of insufficient archaeological evidence.
However, the 25-foot bridge inside Genovesa Cave, found on the Spanish island of Mallorca, paints a new perspective of early human history.
“The presence of this submerged bridge and other artifacts indicates a sophisticated level of activity, implying that early settlers recognized the cave’s water resources and strategically built infrastructure to navigate it,” explains study lead author Bogdan Onac, a professor of geology at the University of South Florida, in a media release.
The Spanish cave preserved the bridge after rising sea levels flooded the passageways. When there’s high tide, these caves create calcite encrustations, which form a light-colored band on the submerged bridge. This allowed archaeologists to trace historical sea-level changes and when the bridge was first made. Researchers specifically looked at the overgrowths of minerals attached to the bridge and measured the coloration band on the bridge.
The new findings show the bridge was created close to 6,000 years ago. The latest conclusion is 2,000 years earlier than previous estimates, shortening the timeline between when humans settled in the eastern and western Mediterranean.
Mallorca is the sixth largest island in the Mediterranean and the last colonized territory. Previous evidence estimated humans landed on the island about 9,000 years ago. However, this date has always been contested because artifacts, such as bones and pottery, used for radiocarbon dating were not in the best conditions.
Other research studying the timeline of human settlement estimated that humans arrived in the Mediterranean around 4,400 years ago after analyzing the island’s charcoal, ash, and bones. An earlier timeline of human activity would align with significant environmental changes, such as the extinction of the goat-antelope genus Myotragus balearicus.
The researchers believe this recent discovery settles a long-standing debate among archaeologists and creates a more accurate timeline of when ancient human nomads traveled worldwide.
“This research underscores the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in uncovering historical truths and advancing our understanding of human history,” Onac concludes.
The authors are continuing to investigate cave systems, especially those with mineral deposits dating back millions of years, to measure sea levels before human activity in the area. These measurements will help paint another important picture: how greenhouse warming has affected sea levels over time.
Source: https://studyfinds.org/ancient-bridge-mediterranean/?nab=0