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WORLD

A 1,000-year-old wall in Peru was built to protect against El Niño floods, research suggests

A 1,000-year-old wall in Peru was built to protect against El Niño floods, research suggests

A 1,000-year-old wall in Peru was built to protect against El Niño floods, research suggests
The ancient earthen wall runs for 6 miles (10 kilometers) across the desert and two dry river beds near Trujillo in northern Peru.

An ancient desert wall in northern Peru was built to protect precious farmlands and canals from the ravages of El Niño floods, according to new research.

Many archaeologists had suggested that the wall, known as the Muralla La Cumbre and located near Trujillo, was built by the Chimú people to protect their lands from invasions by the Incas, with whom they had a long-standing enmity. But the latest research affirms a theory that the earthen wall, which stretches 6 miles (10 kilometers) across the desert, was built to hold back devastating floods during the wettest phases of northern Peru’s weather cycle. 

These phases are now known as El Niño — Spanish for “The Boy,” a reference to the child Jesus — because they bring heavy rain to the region around Christmastime every few years. 

Archaeologists have found distinctive layers of flood sediments only on the east side of the ancient wall.

Although El Niño brings drought to some other parts of the world, it brings heavy rains to Ecuador and northern Peru. El Niño floods are thought to have occurred there for thousands of years, and they would have been a serious danger to the Chimú, Gabriel Prieto, an archaeologist at the University of Florida, told Live Science.

“The annual rainfall there in a regular year is very low — almost no rain at all,” he said. “So when the rainfall was very high, that caused a lot of damage.”

Ancient kingdom

Radiocarbon dating of the lowest layers shows the wall was started in about A.D. 1100, soon after a large El Niño flood.

The Chimor kingdom of the Chimú people emerged around A.D. 900 in the territories once occupied by the Moche people; as a result, the Moche period is sometimes called “Early Chimú.”

According to the “Encyclopedia of Prehistory” (Springer, 2002) the Chimú worshipped the moon — instead of the sun at the center of Inca worship — and they were independent until they were conquered by the Incas in about 1470, a few decades before the arrival of the Spanish in South America. 

Today, the Chimú are known mainly for their distinctive pottery and metalwork, as well as for the ruins of their capital, Chan Chan, which are listed by the United Nations as a World Heritage site.

Prieto has examined the 8-foot-high (2.5 meters) La Cumbre wall and found layers of flood sediments only on its eastern side, which suggests it was built to protect the Chimú farmlands to the west, beside the coast. Radiocarbon dates from the lowest layers reveal that the wall was started in about 1100, possibly after a large El Niño flood at that time, he said.

The wall is built across two dry riverbeds that flood during El Niño. Preventing flooding in the farmlands also would have protected Chan Chan, which was connected to them by a network of canals. 

“I’d guess, to some degree, that the wall worked like a kind of a dam,” Prieto said. The research has not yet been published as a peer-reviewed study.

Archaeologists used to think the wall was built to keep out the Incas. But the new research suggests it may have been built to keep out floods.

Human sacrifices

Prieto previously found evidence of mass child sacrifices at Chimú sites, including the remains of 76 victims at Pampa La Cruz near Huanchaco, a few miles northwest of Trujillo. He thinks the El Niño floods that necessitated the desert wall also may have been linked to the sacrifices. 

Prieto has used radiocarbon dating to determine that one of the sediment layers along the wall is from about 1450 — a date that corresponds to the sacrifice of more than 140 children and 200 llamas at another Chimú site. He thinks it’s likely that the Chimú knew the dangers of El Niño floods, which happened every few years, and that their society’s rulers took advantage of the recurring disaster to solidify their authority with sacrifices.

“The Chimú were the descendants of people who had lived in this region for 10,000 years — they knew exactly what was going on,” he said. “This was a kind of political game, I think.”

Edward Swenson, an archaeologist at the University of Toronto who isn’t involved in the research, told Live Science that Prieto’s interpretation made sense.

“The idea at first struck me as incongruous because I’ve not heard of walls against water before,” he said. 

But Prieto’s research has changed his mind, although he still thinks the wall also may have served as a defense. “The old idea was that this wall was to protect the Chimú from Inca attacks, and it might have been multifunctional,” Swenson said.

EUROPE, FRANCE, WORLD

Neanderthals May Have Created Cave Art in France

Neanderthals May Have Created Cave Art in France

Study researchers Trine Freiesleben and Jean-Claude Marquet discuss the fingerprints and where to take optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) samples so they can date the artwork.

The oldest-known engravings in Europe, discovered in a French cave sealed up for tens of thousands of years, likely weren’t crafted by modern humans but rather Neanderthals, a new study finds. 

Within the cave of La Roche-Cotard 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Paris, the researchers analyzed a series of non-figurative markings thought to be made by ancient human fingers, according to a study published Wednesday (June 21) in the journal PLOS One. 

The cave had been sealed up by sediments until the late 19th century. Modern excavations at the site have yielded numerous stone tools whose style is associated with the Neanderthals, suggesting they created the art. 

Ancient figurative art, including wall paintings, is well-known from European sites, with drawings of horses, lions, and handprints representing famous examples of Upper Paleolithic culture dating back 35,000 years.

For decades, researchers thought that these creations were hallmarks of modern human behavior, but recently, researchers have unearthed older examples of non-utilitarian objects and art in Europe and in other areas of the world, such as a 51,000-year-old chevron-engraved bone in Germany created by Neanderthals; however, Homo sapiens are credited with a 45,500-year-old drawing of a warty pig in Indonesia and a 73,000-year-old hashtag drawing in South Africa.

Examples of engravings discovered in the Roche-Cotard cave (Indre et Loire – France). On the left, the “circular panel” (ogive-shaped tracings) and on the right the “wavy panel” (two contiguous tracings forming sinuous lines).

At the cave of La Roche-Cotard, researchers found eight panels with more than 400 traces of abstract lines and dots. The researchers call these traces “engravings” because they represent the deliberate removal of material carried out with a tool or finger. “This removal of material is neither accidental nor utilitarian,” they wrote in their study, but rather “intentional and meticulous.”

To figure out how the engravings were made, the researchers set up an experiment at a similar cave, in which one person created marks using their fingers, bone, wood, antler, flint and metal points against the rock wall.

Another person then recorded what those marks looked like and used photogrammetry methods — a technique that uses hundreds of photos to create virtual 3D models — to compare the experimental marks with the prehistoric ones. 

The researchers concluded that the experimental finger markings were most similar to the prehistoric engravings.

The researchers also found no direct link between the numerous stone tools discovered in the cave and the engravings, further supporting the finding that Neanderthals created the engravings with their fingers, just as the researchers did. For the most part, the engravings on the cave wall are lines called “finger flutings,” made when someone swiped their fingers flat along the silt-covered wall, the team concluded.

To further refine the date the cave was used and figure out if the finger flutings were those of modern humans or Neanderthals, the researchers used optically stimulated luminescence of the sediments to determine when they were last exposed to daylight.

The analysis revealed that the cave closed up at least 57,000 years ago and possibly as long as 75,000 years ago. 

These early dates mean it’s “highly unlikely” that anatomically modern humans had access to the inside of the cave, the researchers wrote in their study, as current evidence suggests they were not present in France until at least 54,000 years ago, whereas Neandertals appeared there around 330,000 years ago. “We conclude that the LRC engravings are unambiguous examples of Neanderthal abstract design,” they wrote.

April Nowell, a paleolithic archaeologist at the University of Victoria in Canada who was not involved in this study, told Live Science in an email that “this study is important because it extends the antiquity of digital [finger] tracings and, for the first time, associates them with a hominin species other than Homo sapiens.” 

But the significance of these engravings remains unclear. “Although the finger tracings at La Roche-Cotard are clearly intentional,” the researchers wrote, “it is not possible for us to establish if they represent symbolic thinking.” 

Nowell agreed that “these tracings do not have to be symbolic any more than when someone traces their fingers in the sand on a beach.” The engravings are, however, important new information about the behavior of our Neanderthal relatives, whose culture was more complex and diverse than previously realized.

ASIA, IRAQ, WORLD

A large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar has been unearthed in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud

A large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar has been unearthed in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud

A large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar has been unearthed in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud

Archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, working with an Iraqi excavation team, have unearthed a large stone monument depicting the goddess Ishtar in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud.

Archaeologists have uncovered more monumental finds in Nimrud, one of the heritage sites severely damaged by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Iraq.

Among the new relics discovered at the site are those from a 3,000-year-old temple dedicated to Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war and the goddess with the earliest written evidence.

During earlier excavations in Nimrud, the same team revealed a 2,800-year-old palace belonging to an Assyrian king Adad-Nirari III, who reigned from 810–783 BCE.

This season, the team continued working inside the palace and expanded its efforts to include the Temple of Ishtar, which burned when Nimrud was sacked by an invading army in 612 BCE.

A fragment of the stone stele depicting Ishtar inside a starburst.

Chief among their finds were fragments of a large stone monument that depicts the goddess Ishtar inside a star symbol.

“Our greatest find this season was a spectacular fragment from the stone stele that shows the goddess Ishtar inside a star symbol. This is the first unequivocal depiction of the goddess as Ishtar Sharrrat-niphi, a divine aspect of the goddess associated with the rising of the planet Venus, the ‘morning star,’ to be found in this temple dedicated to her,” Dr. Michael Danti, Program Director of the Iraq Heritage Stabilization Program and archeologists at the University of  Pennsylvania, said in a statement.

This season’s new discoveries largely focus on the splendor of Adad-Nirari III’s rule and ancient Nimrud’s affluence.

Two enormous stone column bases that the archaeologists discovered suggest the palace was grandly decorated with exquisitely carved columns.

Evidence of a sizable stone basin, which the researchers think may have served as a central heating system, was found inside the throne room.

In addition, they discovered scattered pieces of ostrich eggshell and ivory, both of which were rare and would have been extremely valuable in the early Bronze Age.

ASIA, IRAN, WORLD

Mysterious 18-Km-Long Underground City Found In Iran: Could be At Least 6000 Years Old

Mysterious 18-Km-Long Underground City Found In Iran: Could be At Least 6000 Years Old

In Bam village of Esfarayen county in northeast Iran, a routine road construction project has led to an exciting discovery of a vast network of underground corridors linked to the nearby fortress of Shahr-e Belqeys (City of Belqeys).

The discovery was made by workers laying a road in 2022, who stumbled upon this precious heritage from a different spot after access was blocked by the local cultural heritage directorate last year to protect it.

The expert at the Belqeys archaeological site confirmed that the total length of the corridors was 18 kilometers (11 miles), and that a bathroom and a mill were located along the extent. However, these have not been opened yet, and experts are yet to examine them.

“Last years, traces of this underground city had been discovered, but to protect it, these remains were blocked by the local cultural heritage directorate. Now we reached these ancient structures from another place, which confirms the statements of the local people,” the expert explained. “The ruins have yielded potteries estimated to belong to the Seljuk period, IlKhanid, and even earlier periods. However, an extensive archaeological excavation is needed to delve into its secrets.”

The ruined citadel of Shahr-e Belqeys is located in the northeastern part of North Khorasan province and is spread over 51,000 square meters (12.6 acres). It is the second-largest mud fortress in Iran after the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bam Citadel. Based on excavations at nearby hilltops and elevations, the citadel is believed to be at least 6,000 years old. 

Ruined citadel of Shahr-e Belqys, site of the underground corridor discovery.

The fortress is considered to have flourished from the late Sassanid era (224-661 AD) to the early Islamic period in the 7th century and had been active until Nader Shah Afshar assumed power in the early 18th century. Historical evidence suggests that Belqeys enjoyed the favor of Sassanid monarchs, leading to its prosperity.

Several excavations in Belqeys have revealed the remarkable remains of the citadel, houses, irrigation channels, a cistern, and a hypostyle hall. The expert at the Belqeys site stated that the ruins have yielded potteries estimated to belong to the Seljuk period, IlKhanid, and even earlier periods, and that an extensive archaeological excavation is needed to delve into its secrets.

Iran has several underground architectural sites, including the cone-shaped underground homes of Kandovan village in north-western Iran, which resemble the “fairy chimneys” of Cappadocia in Turkey, where Bronze Age cave dwellers built famous underground cities.

Mysterious 18-Km-Long Underground City Found In Iran: Could be At Least 6000 Years Old
The underground corridors found near Shahr-e Belqeys are similar to those built during the same period in Nushabad.

In 2018, the 3rd International Troglodytic Architecture Conference was held in Iran, bringing scores of experts and scholars to discuss subterranean architecture, technology, and culture. The discovery of the underground corridors in Shahr-e Belqeys is just one of the many exciting examples of Iran’s rich cultural heritage. It has again opened up new avenues for research and discovery in archaeology.

Another underground site in Iran is the fascinating city of Nushabad, also known as Ouyi, located in Isfahan province in central Iran. This entire city of passages and chambers is located at depths varying from 4 to 18 meters (13 to 59 feet) and dates back to Sassanid times.

Nushabad is a city named after the cold and refreshing water from a local well or spring. It was founded by a Sassanian king who passed through the area and was impressed by the water. The city was a place of refuge for people in the surrounding desert during the hot summer months.

As time passed, the underground city of Nushabad became more than just a source of fresh water and a place to escape the heat. It also served as a haven during times of war. Throughout the history of Iran, the city faced numerous invasions from attackers who would come to pillage and kill.

For example, during the Mongol invasion in the 13th century, when the invaders arrived at the above-ground city, they found it deserted as its residents had fled to the safety of Nushabad. This pattern continued until the Qajar period.

Nushabad was well equipped to serve as a refuge, with features that made it difficult for attackers to enter. For instance, the city had multiple entry points, but they were so narrow that only one person could go in at a time. This prevented an invading army from using their superior numbers to overpower those hiding in the underground city.

Additionally, there are ventilation shafts that allow airflow in and out of Nushabad, whilst fresh water is provided by the spring. This meant that refugees were able to stay in the underground city for long periods of time. It has also been suggested that there would have been some storage areas for food as well. Various rooms have also been found along the carved-out pathways of the city, and ledges have been dug out to serve as benches/beds for people.

The similarity in construction between the Shahr-e Belqeys underground corridors and Nushabad leads experts to believe that they served the same purpose. Further excavations, pending the approval of the Iranian government, will provide more insight into their architecture and use.

The discovery of the extensive network of underground corridors in Bam village is a significant finding that could shed light on the ancient history of Iran and its cultural heritage. The fact that it was discovered by accident during a routine road construction project makes it even more exciting. It will generate great interest among archaeologists and history buffs for sure.

ASIA, CHINA, WORLD

12,000 Years Ago, Mysterious Egg-Headed People Inhabited China

12,000 Years Ago, Mysterious Egg-Headed People Inhabited China

Archaeologists excavated 25 human skeletons with elongated skulls dating back perhaps as long as 12,000 years ago from Houtaomuga archaeological site in northeast China.

The strange shape of the skulls symbolizes a part of the ritual in ancient China. The discovery provides additional proof that cranial alterations were prevalent in ancient East Asia and was a customary practice throughout the world during prehistoric times.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology in 2019, a team of researchers, led by bioarchaeologist Quanchao Zhang and paleoanthropologist Qian Wang, discovered 25 skeletons at a location known as Houtaomuga.

The remains were dated between approximately 12,000 and 5,000 years ago. Out of the 25 skeletons, 11 had skulls that had been intentionally elongated, with flattened bones at both the front and back of the head.

The researchers from China’s Jilin University and Texas A&M University who conducted the excavations were surprised at the abundance of “anomalies” and suggested that many were “egg-shaped.”

Study co-researcher Qian Wang, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the Texas A&M University College of Dentistry said: “This is the earliest discovery of signs of intentional head modification in Eurasia continent, perhaps in the world.

If this practice began in East Asia, it likely spread westward to the Middle East, Russia, and Europe through the steppes as well as eastward across the Bering land bridge to the Americas.” 

12,000 Years Ago, Mysterious Egg-Headed People Inhabited China
The M72 skull is between 6,300 and 5,500 years old.

The Chinese civilization is one of the most ancient and continuous in the world. While their recorded history can be traced back to the 5th century BC, with the emergence of the Zhou dynasty, there is archaeological evidence that suggests their history dates back even further.

The earliest documented records refer to semi-mythical people called the “Yellow Emperor” and his beastly advisors – known as the “Foolish Old Men.”

Currently, the Chinese egg-shaped skulls are considered to be the oldest in the world. Besides, it was noted that the tradition of stretching heads had been formed long before the Neolithic Revolution (First Agricultural Revolution) took place. It was believed that the tradition of skull modification started around 9,000 years ago.

According to Archaeology, the discovered skulls exhibited artificially elongated braincases and flattened bones at both the front and back of the head.

The researchers identified three different types of cranial deformations in eleven of the skulls. Out of these 11, five were adults, with one female and others male. The remaining skulls belonged to children, and the ages of the individuals varied from 3 to 40 years old.

Scientists still do not know why in ancient times people deliberately pulled their skulls out and where it started. The children’s heads were clamped in a special vice or in a device of two boards. In the process, not only the bones of the skull were stretched, but also the inside structure deformed. At the same time, the bones of the skull became very thin.

It is still unknown how the tradition of artificially modified skull start.

Archaeologists believed that humans with deformed skulls were trained to perform important social roles. For example, to become priests of a certain cult.

They believed that elongated skulls would open some unusual abilities, and allow them to communicate with higher powers. At least, people probably thought that by pulling back their heads, they acquire a strong social status in their society.

For centuries, our ancestors utilized various wooden, rag, and rope techniques to scar their own and their children’s heads, seeking aesthetic enhancement. The desire for such body modification has persisted worldwide for thousands of years, with some still practicing it, especially in Africa.

The reason behind this practice remains uncertain, puzzling scientists who can only surmise that some compelling motivation drove our forebears to endure such pain. Even though the Houtaomuga man is the oldest known case of deliberate skull reshaping in history, it is a mystery whether other known instances of deliberate skull reshaping spread from this group, or whether they rose independently of one another, Wang said.

An excavation at the site during 2010.
An excavation at the site in 2010.

Oddly shaped, intentionally modified skulls have been discovered in various regions across the globe. While assertions from the 1980s contended that two Neandertal skulls, estimated to be around 45,000 years old, had been reshaped during infancy, numerous scholars have since refuted these claims.

The most ancient skulls that exhibit widely acknowledged indications of cranial modification date back to approximately 13,000 to 10,000 years ago in the western areas of Asia, southeastern Australia, and most recently, East Asia. On the other hand, this practice began over 8,000 years ago in the Americas.

Despite the popular belief that the elongated skull, thought to be around 12,000 years old, was intentionally altered, some experts disagree. Although the skull does display some elongation, it is not significant enough to suggest intentional deformation. In fact, evidence only supports forced skull modification in those dating back 6,000 years ago.

The peculiar case of “Paracas skulls” is another discovery of elongated skulls, however, it is different from the rest of skull elongation cases.

The size of the cranium of Paracas skulls is significantly larger, by 25% and 60% heavier than typical human skulls, which indicates that they were not artificially altered through head flattening. Moreover, these skulls possess a single parietal plate, instead of two. Due to the absence of any cranial deformation, the elongation of these skulls remains unexplained and has been so for many years.

The significance of the discovery in Houtaomuga remains noteworthy, irrespective of the ongoing controversy. It highlights the existence of deliberate skull alterations during the Neolithic period in the region. Additionally, the findings offer insights into the community’s culture and convictions during the latter phase of the Stone Age.

ASIA, IRAQ, WORLD

5,500-Year-Old Sumerian Star Map History in Recorded: The Impact Of A Massive Asteroid

5,500-Year-Old Sumerian Star Map History in Recorded: The Impact Of A Massive Asteroid

For more than 150 years scientists have tried to solve the mystery of a notorious cuneiform clay tablet that reveals that in the past the impact case of so-called Köfel was detected. The circular stone-cast tablet was discovered in the late 1800s from the 650 BC King Ashurbanipal‘s underground library in Nineveh, Iraq.

Data processing, which was long believed to be an Assyrian tablet, mirrored the sky over Mesopotamia in 3300 BC and proved to be much more ancient in Sumerian origin.

The tablet is the first astronomical instrument, the “Astrolabe.”  It consists of a segmented, disk-shaped star chart with marked units of angle measure inscribed upon the rim.

Unfortunately, considerable parts of the planisphere on this tablet are missing (approximately 40%), damage which dates to the sacking of Nineveh. The reverse of the tablet is not inscribed.

Still under study by modern scholars, the cuneiform tablet in the British Museum collection No K8538 (known as “the Planisphere”) provides extraordinary proof for the existence of sophisticated Sumerian astronomy. In 2008 two authors, Alan Bond and Mark Hempsell published a book about the tablet called “A Sumerian Observation of the Kofels’ Impact Event”.

Raising a storm in archaeological circles, they re-translated the cuneiform text and assert the tablet records an ancient asteroid strike, the Köfels’ Impact, which struck Austria sometime around 3100 BC.

The giant landslide centered at Köfels in Austria is 500m thick and five kilometers in diameter and has long been a mystery since geologists first looked at it in the 19th century.

The conclusion drawn by research in the middle 20th century was that it must be due to a very large meteor impact because of the evidence of crushing pressures and explosions. But this view lost favor as a much better understanding of impact sites developed in the late 20th century.

In the case of Köfels, there is no crater, so to modern eyes, it does not look as an impact site should look. However, the evidence that puzzled the earlier researchers remains unexplained by the view that it is just another landslide.

So what is the connection between the sophisticated Sumerian star chart discovered in the underground library in Nineveh and the mysterious impact that took place in Austria?

Examination of the clay tablet reveals that it is an astronomical work as it has drawings of constellations on it and the text has known constellation names. It has attracted a lot of attention but in over a hundred years nobody has come up with a convincing explanation as to what it is.

With modern computer programs that can simulate trajectories and reconstruct the night sky thousands of years ago, researchers have established what the Planisphere tablet refers to. It is a copy of the night notebook of a Sumerian astronomer as he records the events in the sky before dawn on 29 June 3123 BC (Julian calendar).

Half the tablet records planet positions and cloud cover, the same as any other night, but the other half of the tablet records an object large enough for its shape to be noted even though it is still in space.

The astronomers made an accurate note of its trajectory relative to the stars, which to an error better than one degree is consistent with an impact at Köfels. The observation suggests the asteroid is over a kilometer in diameter and the original orbit about the Sun was an Aten type, a class of asteroid that orbit close to the Earth, that is resonant with the Earth’s orbit.

This trajectory explains why there is no crater at Köfels. The incoming angle was very low (six degrees) which means the asteroid clipped a mountain called Gamskogel above the town of Längenfeld, 11 kilometers from Köfels, and this caused the asteroid to explode before it reached its final impact point. As it traveled down the valley it became a fireball, around five kilometers in diameter (the size of the landslide). When it hit Köfels it created enormous pressures that pulverized the rock and caused the landslide but because it was no longer a solid object it did not create a classic impact crater.

Mark Hempsell, discussing the Köfels event, said: “Another conclusion can be made from the trajectory. The back plume from the explosion (the mushroom cloud) would be bent over the Mediterranean Sea re-entering the atmosphere over the Levant, Sinai, and Northern Egypt.

“The ground heating though very short would be enough to ignite any flammable material – including human hair and clothes. It is probable more people died under the plume than in the Alps due to the impact blast.”

In other words, the remarkable ancient star map shows that the Sumerians made an observation of an Aten asteroid over a kilometer in diameter that impacted Köfels in Austria in the early morning of 29th June 3123 BC.

CROATIA, EUROPE, WORLD

Underwater Archaeologists Discover a 7,000-Year-Old Road in Croatia

Underwater Archaeologists Discover a 7,000-Year-Old Road in Croatia

Underwater Archaeologists Discover a 7,000-Year-Old Road in Croatia

A team of underwater archaeologists from the University of Zadar has discovered the sunken ruins of a 7,000-year-old road that once linked an ancient artificial landmass to the Croatian island of Korčula.

The road is located at a depth of 5 meters in sediment deposits at the submerged archaeological site of Soline, an artificial landmass and Neolithic settlement of the island Korčula and along with several other artifacts, belonged to a lost maritime culture known as the Hvar, who occupied this area during the Neolithic Era.

By radiocarbon analysis of preserved wood found in the last campaign, the entire settlement was dated around 4,900 years before Christ.

A four-meter-wide linear road made of stone slabs was discovered during a recent underwater survey of the site. People walked on this road almost 7,000 years ago.

Over the weekend, the University of Zadar released new footage of the underwater passage, which was made of stacked stones and measured some 12 feet across.

“In underwater archaeological research of the submerged neolithic site of Soline on the island of Korčula, archaeologists found remains that surprised them,” said the University of Zadar in a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday.

“Namely, beneath the layers of sea mud, they discovered a road that connected the sunken prehistoric settlement of the Hvar culture with the coast of the island of Korčula.”

According to the university, several scientists and organizations are working together on underwater research, which is being directed by archaeologist Mate Parica, who has been studying the location for a while.

The team also found fragments of millstones, flint blades, and stone axes among the underwater ruins.

The artifacts shed light on the enigmatic Hvar peoples, who first appeared on the islands and coasts of the northeast Adriatic Sea around 7,000 years ago.

Korčula is part of an archipelago in the Adriatic that was once a part of the continent.

The coastal valleys of the Dinaric Mountains began to flood as a result of the Earth’s ice cap melting after 12,000 BC, and by 6000 BC the archipelago had roughly reached its current configuration.

CROATIA, EUROPE, WORLD

Mine-clearance divers discovered an ancient shipwreck dating from the 3rd century BC

Mine-clearance divers discovered an ancient shipwreck dating from the 3rd century BC

Mine-clearance divers discovered an ancient shipwreck dating from the 3rd century BC

As a result of collaborative training exercises between Croatian and Italian naval mine-clearance divers, one of the earliest fully preserved shipwrecks in the eastern Adriatic seabed has been discovered.

A previously undiscovered shipwreck containing a cargo of ancient amphorae from the 3rd century BC has been found in the waters of the Šćedra Island archipelago, just off the southern coast of Hvar island, the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media announced in a statement on Friday.

The discovery was made as part of a long-standing collaboration in which Croatian divers have been operating from Italian minehunter vessels in a NATO mine counter-measures group in recent years.

The first of two weeks’ joint training had covered mine-clearance procedures using ROVs and AUVs near Čiovo Island, before the naval divers turned their attention to the Šćedra Island archipelago off Hvar during the week of 15-21 June. 

Amphora above 3rd-century BC shipwreck.

Using mine clearance procedures and various types of equipment such as underwater autonomous vehicles and remotely operated underwater vehicles, the first week focused on joint conditioning training in the waters near Čiovo Island, while the second week involved diving activities in the waters around Hvar Island.

The success of the cross-border cooperation was viewed as an opportunity to involve bodies other than Croatia’s Ministry of Defence, so the conservation department of the Ministry of Culture and Media provided the military with information about existing and potential archaeological sites.

Despite the adverse weather conditions, a multi-layered seabed scanning operation was completed.

Several potential marks were identified, and these were followed up using a sonar- and camera-equipped ROV before scuba diving was carried out by both Croatian and Italian mine-clearance personnel.

One of these investigations resulted in finding the previously unsuspected wreck.

Underwater archaeologists from the Ministry of Culture and Media, Saša Denegri, and from the University of Split, Tea Katunarić Kirjakov, conducted dives at the specific location and confirmed that the shipwreck is fully preserved and dates back to the 3rd century BC, containing a cargo of ancient amphorae. It rests at a depth of 50 meters.

This is one of the earliest fully preserved shipwrecks on the eastern Adriatic Sea coast, taking into account the dating and preservation of the site.

Plans for the site’s protection, conservation, and presentation will be developed based on the precise context, extent, and characteristics of the site, which will be determined by future archaeological research.