Ancient humans were able to swim across the Mediterranean 450,000 years ago, according to researchers from the University of Patras in Greece. work of scientists published At Quaternary International.
More than 450 thousand years ago, people lived on the islands of the Aegean Sea – the oldest artifacts found there are about 476 thousand years old. Previously, scientists believed that ancient people got there in the ice age – due to the cold climate, the sea level fell, and the islands were connected to the mainland.
Researchers reconstructed the geography of the region at that time. They found that previous reconstructions were wrong. At that time, sea level at its lowest point was about 225 meters lower than it is today. This means that some islands still remain isolated from the continent.
“This is direct evidence that over 450,000 years old people were able to build boats and swim the seas. Because there is no other explanation for how ancient people arrived in areas isolated by the seas, ”said the scientists.