AdminA group of researchers has discovered that ancient humans may have been settled inside a cave on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. The discovery was made by identifying an ancient underwater bridge that is believed to have been built around 6,000 years ago. The discovery rewrites the previous timeline of human settlement on the island, suggesting that people lived in the area much earlier than previously thought. In 2000, the researchers discovered the 25-foot-long (7.6-meter-long) bridge while scuba diving in a submerged cave.
New dating techniques reveal ancient human presence
Made of large limestone blocks, the bridge was originally thought to be about 4,400 years old based on pottery shards found in the cave, but a recent analysis led by University of South Florida geology professor Bogdan Onak found this estimate to be inaccurate.
To confirm the bridge’s true age, the study The team analyzed distinct, light-colored bands formed by deposits of calcite on top of the bridge. These deposits, known as speleothems, reveal changes in sea level over time. By studying these deposits, the researchers concluded that the bridge was built about 6,000 years ago, pushing back the date of human habitation on the island by 1,600 years.
The importance of discovery
The discovery is significant because it suggests that humans have been present on Mallorca for much longer than previously thought, as it is generally believed in the scientific community that it was one of the last islands to be inhabited, unlike other Mediterranean islands such as Cyprus and Crete.
The researchers say more research is needed to understand why Mallorca was inhabited later than other islands, and suggest the island may have lacked key resources such as farmland needed to sustain an early human population.
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