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Small, isolated islands were traditionally viewed as the final bastions of untouched ecosystems. Prior to the advent of agriculture and its accompanying technological advancements, it was generally believed that these remote environments were inaccessible to human populations.
Recent findings published in Nature provide compelling evidence that hunter-gatherers were navigating over 100 kilometers (km) of open sea to reach the Mediterranean island of Malta nearly 8,500 years ago—around a millennium before the arrival of the first agricultural communities. This research highlights the earliest known instances of long-distance maritime travel in the Mediterranean, predating the use of sail-equipped vessels, and suggests that these early seafarers were likely using basic dugout canoes.
According to Professor Nicholas Vella from the University of Malta and co-investigator of the study, “By utilizing sea surface currents, winds, and various navigational methods such as landmarks and celestial bodies, these individuals could complete a crossing of approximately 100 km at an average speed of about 4 km per hour. Even during the longest daylight periods, they would still face hours of darkness while out on the open water.”
The research was conducted by a scientific team spearheaded by Professor Eleanor Scerri, affiliated with the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA) and the University of Malta. Excavations at the Latnija cave site in northern Mellieħa uncovered artifacts from human activity, including stone tools, hearths, and remnants of cooked food. “Our findings revealed a diverse array of wildlife, notably Red Deer, which was previously thought to have gone extinct during that era,” remarked Prof. Scerri. “The evidence indicates that these ancient communities were hunting and preparing not only deer but also tortoises and various avian species, some of which are now extinct and were notably large.”
Furthermore, the research team uncovered significant evidence of marine resource utilization. Dr. James Blinkhorn from the University of Liverpool and MPI-GEA, who is one of the study’s lead authors, noted, “We discovered remains of seals, multiple fish species, including grouper, and thousands of cooked marine invertebrates such as gastropods, crabs, and sea urchins.”
These remarkable findings also prompt a reassessment of the extinction patterns of native fauna on Malta and similar Mediterranean islands, as well as the possibility of interconnected Mesolithic communities through maritime routes.
“This research extends Maltese prehistory by a millennium, necessitating a fresh evaluation of the maritime capabilities of Europe’s last hunter-gatherers, along with an examination of their ecological impacts and relationships,” stated Prof. Scerri.
The study received backing from Malta’s Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and was funded by the European Research Council along with the Research Excellence Award from the University of Malta.
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