Ancient, Undersoaked Bridge Unearthed in Spanish Cavern Rewrites Mediterranean Timeline
Mystery Solved: Submerged Bridge Reveals Ancient Secrets of Mallorca
Looks like researchers have stumbled upon something fascinating in Mallorca. They've discovered a hidden, 25-foot-long bridge in a cave on the island, pushing back our understanding of human settlement timelines!
This connector, about 6,000 years old, reveals that we were settling Mallorca approximately 4,400 years ago, earlier than previous estimates (Communications Earth & Environment, 2022).
As Onac, one of the researchers, cheerily shared in a University of South Florida news release, the submarine bridge and associated artifacts hint at an advanced level of activity. The early settlers must have recognized the cave's water resources and planned infrastructure to navigate it.
The team deduced the younger dates from animal bones, pottery, and mineral-growths found in Genovesa Cave. The researchers dated these overgrowths, which specifically grow at sea level in the cave. By combining these dates, the team could pinpoint the bridge's construction date with great accuracy.
The limestone bridge links two elevated chambers in the cave. But there's more! An ancient stone path can be found at the cave's entrance, leading down to the underwater lake.
The waters in the cave have been rapidly rising in the last century due to climate change, and they'll continue to rise, Onac explained in a chat with Gizmodo.
While we're unsure about the exact purpose of the cave—maybe it served religious purposes or provided shelter—the team's objective wasn't to interpret its use. Instead, they wanted to log the water levels in the cave over the last 180,000 years or so.
This study serves as an interesting case study of how researchers unearth evidence of human migration. When early modern humans settled in island environments, they often altered the local conditions around them. In the cave, the only human relics are poorly preserved pottery, so the researchers had a bright idea—to date mineral overgrowths in the cave.
Last week, another team made a similar discovery on an island in the South Pacific (Journal of Archaeological Science, 2022). They found that humans may have arrived earlier than previously believed, based on the dating of tree resin that showed signs of human interference.
So, next time you're thinking about the history of human migration, remember these ancient bridges—hidden gems carrying stories of our ancestors' pioneering adventures!
The older dates from the South Pacific island discovery suggest human migration occurred even earlier than previously believed, as indicated by the dating of tree resin showing signs of human interference (Journal of Archaeological Science, 2022).
In the near future, advancements in science and technology might enable us to date similar artifacts with even greater precision, potentially unveiling more secrets about human migration patterns.
The mysterious cave in Mallorca, equipped with a submerged bridge and ancient stone path, offers a glimpse into how our ancestors encountered and adapted to significant changes in their environment, such as the rising sea levels caused by climate change.
As we delve deeper into the annals of our past, it becomes increasingly clear that the future of archaeology lies in exploring the unexplored – from the depths of submerged caves to the farthest reaches of the South Pacific – seeking out the hidden gems that carry the untold stories of human migration.
