Figuring out what our ancestorswere up tothousands of years ago is no easy task – but in some region of the planet , it ’s made even harder by a deficiency of archaeological evidence . One such topographic point is the Mediterranean islands . Working out when humankind first arrived here has been a knavish teaser , but it ’s near to being solved thanks to a submerged bridge bury deep inside an ancientcave .
A team conduct by University of South Florida geologist Professor Bogdan Onac of late ventured to Mallorca ’s Genovesa Cave to take a study of the 7.6 - metre ( 25 - pes ) underwater bridge . The very existence of the nosepiece , as well as other artifacts they encountered , provide some hints about the early human residents of the region .
“ The presence of this drown bridge and other artifacts indicates a sophisticated level of activeness , incriminate that former settlers realise the cave ’s water resource and strategically built infrastructure to navigate it , ” Onac aver in astatement .
The entrance to the Genovesa Cave.Image credit: B. Onac
One of the Spanish Balearic Islands , Mallorca is the sixth largest island in the Mediterranean and boasts a number of incredible diachronic land site and grounds of ancient settlements . Today , it ’s a major tourist hotspot ; but for such a large island , it ’s thought it was one of the last in the area to be root by humans .
The most recent thinking , found on bailiwick of charcoal , ash tree , and castanets , suggests that our forbear first hand the island – presumably with towels and sunhats at the ready – about 4,400 years ago . This match with other key upshot in the island ’s history , such as the experimental extinction of theworld ’s only cold-blooded - blooded mammalian , Myotragus balearicus .
However , by explore the mystery hidden within the Genovesa Cave , Onac ’s squad is beginning to shed some doubtfulness on this timeline .
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A closer look at our ancestors' handiwork.Image credit: R. Landreth
The coastal cave is now flooded in several passages due to rising ocean level over the years . The gamey - water marks are characterized by giantism ofcalciteminerals – a little scrap liketree rings , these grading can give archaeologists a frame of reference for dating features of the cave . combine this data with a distinctive light - color band towards the top of the bridge , the squad estimates that it was constructed between 6,000 and 5,600 years ago .
This indicates that other humans may have been present on the island more than 2,000 old age before than previously thought .
The squad hypothecate that the bridge deck was construct to allow human race to traverse what was then a lake in that subdivision of the cave . Between 5,964 and 5,359 geezerhood ago , a period of stableness in sea levels would have meant that the urine tier in the cave remained unwavering , and over time the “ bathtub ring ” could have form on the nosepiece as the minerals were deposited .
Eventually , the water levels rose again , and the construction was amply submerge , as it stay today .
“ The exact reason behind the construction of these structures in Genovesa Cave persist elusive , ” the author drop a line . We can only speculate on the importance of this cave to our ancestor , but sketch like this , which blend expertise from different field to disclose previously hidden secrets , are another reminder that it ’s always proficient tokeep an unfastened mindwhen it comes to thestudy of our past .
“ This enquiry underscores the grandness of interdisciplinary collaboration in uncovering historical truths and advancing our apprehension of human history , ” concluded Onac .
The study is print in the journalCommunications Earth & Environment .
