Deeply immersed in the sea, archaeologists come across a stone road. It was built by human hands 7,000 years ago and led to a now sunken settlement.
Soline (Croatia) – Archaeologists have made an astonishing find in the sea of Croatia off the island of Korčula: in the depths off the coastal town of Soline, they came across a formation of carefully assembled stones at the bottom of the sea. It is a sunken road, as the scientists explain.
The approximately four-metre-wide stone path apparently once connected a prehistoric settlement, which now also lies below the surface of the sea, with the coast of today's island of Korčula. The archaeologists came across the structure at a depth of about four to five meters.
An aerial view of the sunken city and the narrow road to it © University of Zadar
People used the road 7,000 years ago – it connected a settlement with the Croatian island of Korcula
Because it was buried under layers of marine mud, it has been preserved over the millennia. Divers from the University of Zadar have now cleared the road with special tools. By finding wood remains, which were also preserved in the mud, the researchers were able to determine the approximate age of the settlement.
Scientists estimate that the settlement and thus also the path were built around the year 4,900 BC. This means that around 7,000 years ago, people were already using the now sunken road and walking around on it, as the University of Zadar explains on the social media platform Facebook.
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Accordingly, it goes back to the culture of the Hvar, who were once resident in the Adriatic region. On the other side of the island, the scientists also discovered another settlement that seems to be very similar to the one in the bay of Soline. There, the archaeologists also found stone blades, stone axes and offerings, as the University of Zadar writes.
In addition to the many ancient sites, Croatia is also known for its fantastically beautiful islands, which invite you to swim with their deep blue sea. The island of Rab, for example, can boast not only history but also impressive nature. Visiting the country will also soon be easier, as Croatia is now a euro and Schengen country.
