Human-built 5600-year-old submerged bridge found inside cave stuns scientists [View all]

Geologists discover an ancient bridge in a cave in Mallorca that shows that humans settled the island as early as 6,000 years ago.

Updated: Sep 03, 2024 02:13 AM EST

Maria Mocerino



A geology professor from the University of South Florida discovered a 5600-year-old stone bridge in an ancient cave that proves humans were present on the island of Mallorca much earlier than previously believed.

This discovery will change everything we thought and knew about early human history in the Western Mediterranean.

The question confounded archaeologists for decades. Logically, being so close to the mainland, the first signs of human settlement offshore should be on Mallorca. Instead, smaller islands farther out to sea suggest that humans skipped this island.

Building the massive lego like Fehmarnbelt Tunnel

The recent discovery of an ancient bridge off the coast of Mallorca provides the first piece of conclusive evidence in this puzzle from human history that locates our early ancestors further back in time on the island of Mallorca and reveals how sophisticated they were.

Going underwater to find the first humans on Mallorca

In 2000, the team behind the study recently published in Communications Earth & Environment dived through passages in the ancient Genovesa Cave. As sea levels rose over the past 6000 years, the cave, mostly underwater, boasts stunning and distinct decorations such as calcite sculptures, according to Sci News. Besides the majesty of nature and time intertwined, however, they discovered a 25-foot-long bridge.

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Close-up view of the submerged stone bridge from Genovesa Cave, Mallorca. Credit: R. Landreth

More:
https://interestingengineering.com/culture/5600-year-old-mallorca-bridge