A recent study led by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of New Mexico has revealed that humans arrived on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca about 5,600 years ago. This finding, based on the dating of an ancient submerged bridge in a cave on the island, suggests that human presence on Mallorca predates previous estimates by at least 1,000 years.
Mallorca, one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, was believed to be among the last in the region to be colonized by humans. Previous research had indicated that the earliest human settlements on the island dated back to between 4,600 and 4,200 years ago.
There were some earlier indications of human presence dating back around 9,000 years, but these findings have been widely debated. The new study, however, provides compelling evidence that humans could have reached Mallorca as early as 6,000 to 5,600 years ago.
The research team, led by Bogdan Onac, a professor of geology at the University of South Florida, collaborated with colleagues from the University of New Mexico, including Professor Yemane Asmerom and Research Scientist Victor Polyak, as well as experts from Harvard University and the University of the Balearic Islands. Their investigation focused on a submerged bridge in Genovesa Cave on Mallorca to establish a more accurate timeline for human arrival on the island.
By studying a 7.5-meter-long submerged bridge, the researchers provided strong evidence of earlier human activity within Genovesa Cave. The bridge, previously discovered, is made up of large limestone blocks stacked atop each other to connect two elevated chambers within the cave.
A distinctive coloration mark on the upper section of the bridge, believed to be caused by calcite formation at the water level when the bridge was still in use, further supports this claim.
Polyak explained, A type of speleothem (cave formation) called phreatic overgrowths on speleothems (POS) forms exactly at sea level, making them one of the most important sea level indicators. They are composed of calcite and/or aragonite (calcium carbonate), minerals that can be precisely dated in our Radiogenic Isotope Laboratory here at the University of New Mexico. We dated samples from this study using the uranium-series method (U-series), which can be exceptionally precise.
The uranium-series dating method, a radiometric technique used to determine the age of calcium carbonate materials like cave formations, allowed the researchers to date the samples, indicating that humans may have first arrived on Mallorca between 6,000 and 5,600 years ago, well over 1,000 years earlier than previously thought.
The researchers compared the vertical position of the bridge and the height of the coloration mark with a model of the relative sea level in the area during the Late Holocene. They concluded that it was unlikely the bridge was constructed much earlier than 6,000 years ago because the area it spans would not have been underwater, and there would have been no need for a bridge.
The stone bridge was likely built around 5,600 years ago, as the sea level would have risen above the top of the bridge after this time. The coloration mark could have formed during stable sea levels between these two dates in the model.
In 2022, this group of researchers published a paper reporting a very stable relative sea level, close to the current sea level in Mallorca, over the last 4,000 years. This evidence indicates that the bridge has been submerged during this period.
POS are remarkable sea level indicators, and combined with our dating, we were able to determine within a few hundred years when the bridge was constructed. It’s a very novel and accurate way to go back in time to when people were on Mallorca, said Polyak. Research on sea level in Mallorca using speleothems is truly incredible and exciting. This study also shows how special POS is as a scientific tool for sea level studies. Perhaps our results will encourage more research on this topic.
SOURCES
Onac, B.P., Polyak, V.J., Mitrovica, J.X. et al. Submerged bridge constructed at least 5600 years ago indicates early human arrival in Mallorca, Spain. Commun Earth Environ 5, 457 (2024). doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01584-4
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