A study published Friday pushed back the human timeline on the Spanish island of Mallorca by at least 1,600 years.
Researchers led by the University of South Florida uncovered a submerged bridge in the Genovesa Cave, dating between 5,600 to 6,000 years old, according to a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Using proxy data from speleothems (mineral deposits) and historical sea level change, the team was able to figure out the construction date on the infrastructure, rewriting the history of the Mediterranean’s sixth-largest island.
Previous research focused on charcoal, ash, and bones led archaeologists to believe humans arrived in Mallorca around 4,400 years ago. The presence of early human engineering pushes this timeline back at least 1,600 years, and possibly more, the authors stated.
What a submerged ancient #bridge discovered in a Spanish cave reveals about early human settlement @NaturePortfolio https://t.co/YpMCCB9RuK
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“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,” lead author Bogdan Onac told Phys.
The data coincides with other major events in Mallorca’s past. One example is the extinction of the goat-antelope animal known as the Myotragus balearicus, the outlet noted. (RELATED: 6,300-Year-Old Megalithic Builder Settlement Discovered)
Europe was a much different continent 6,000 years ago, particularly the northern stretches from France through Great Britain, up to Scandinavia, according to NatGeo. In the Mediterranean, things were relatively peaceful compared to the previous few thousand years, which were defined by massive sea level shifts and at least one mega-tsunami event. But as with all things on planet Earth, things never stay the same for long (in geological terms), so don’t get too comfy.
