Recent archaeological findings suggest that humans may have been the first sailors, building ships and colonizing the Mediterranean region as early as 450,000 years ago! Investigating coastlines during the Pleistocene period leads experts to believe there is no other feasible way these ancient hominids could have accessed what we currently call Aegean islands today. This implies they had created sturdy vessels able to endure robust journeys across choppy waters.
Fascinatingly, archaeological excavations have revealed artifacts on the islands that even surpass Homo sapiens in age. This suggests that ancient people must have possessed a means to cross these vast bodies of water. Experts have uncovered various implications on ancient human migration and the emergence of sailors through these new findings. At 450,000 years ago, this may appear to be an unconventional timeline – yet archaeological evidence exists to support it. So now we must ask ourselves: Could history textbooks need a revamp?
Scholars are now grappling with a difficult question – who were the first mariners to ever explore our planet? Even if seafarers embarked on their journeys centuries ago, any proof of such activities would have long been destroyed over time – there’s quite a bit that can happen in 450,000 years. Ships of antiquity were crafted from timber, which is not renowned for withstanding the relentless pressure of geological and climatic conditions over time. To discover ships that are a few hundred years old in remarkable condition is a difficult task – discovering vessels that have sailed the seas hundreds of thousands of years ago would be a tall order.
What Comes Next
As opposed to searching for vessels that are centuries old, we search for evidence of artifacts like bones or samples. By utilizing diverse techniques such as the scientific method, researchers can map how our world and its traditions have altered and developed over time–which is exactly what these scientists accomplished. A team of researchers from the University of Petra in Greece explored whether during glacial periods, these islands may have been bridged by ice, allowing humans to traverse and reach locations that are now divided by ocean.
After exploring the geological makeup of the Aegean region and nearby coastal areas, scientists have uncovered evidence dating back 450 thousand years. By studying ancient river deltas, they were able to gain valuable insight into the sea level changes caused by tectonic activity in the area. Thanks to their research methods, a much clearer picture has been painted of this fascinating part of our planet’s history. Their discoveries revealed that, despite the islands appearing close enough to traverse on foot, it was impossible due to sea level drops of up to 225 meters in the last 450,000 years.
Big Implications
The findings indicate that even though the Aegean Islands have had periods of connectivity over the last 450,000 years, they have been isolated from other landmasses. This means ancient sailors were required to bravely sail across many kilometers of open sea to reach these islands at their lowest point in terms of sea level.
These discoveries are a significant step in understanding the evolution of human migration and seafaring. Our ancient ancestors may have been sailing the seas much earlier than previously thought, which could completely reshape our history books. More research is needed to get closer to discovering who exactly were our planet’s first mariners; yet, as more evidence comes to the surface, it might not be too long until we get our answer.
