Neanderthals Turned Out To Be Experienced And Skillful Seafarers - Alternative View

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Neanderthals Turned Out To Be Experienced And Skillful Seafarers - Alternative View
Neanderthals Turned Out To Be Experienced And Skillful Seafarers - Alternative View

Video: Neanderthals Turned Out To Be Experienced And Skillful Seafarers - Alternative View

Video: Neanderthals Turned Out To Be Experienced And Skillful Seafarers - Alternative View
Video: A Neanderthal Perspective on Human Origins with Svante Pääbo - 2018 2024, March
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European paleontologists say the Neanderthals appear to have been good navigators. It is possible that their skills in the field of sea exploration were superior to those of Homo Sapiens. New findings from Greek scientists indicate that our biological relatives may well have built boats 100,000 years ago, on which they crossed the Mediterranean Sea from north to south and back

Today it is reliably known that Neanderthals settled in the Mediterranean regions as early as 300,000 years ago. Traces of their presence have previously been found many times on mainland Greece, as well as on its islands of Lefkas, Kefalonia and Zakynthos. The Neanderthals could find themselves on the islands in only two ways: either 100,000 years ago, these islands were part of the mainland, or they simply swam to them.

According to Georg Ferentinos of the University of Patras in Greece, the islands were designed as they are long before the arrival of the Neanderthals. The scientist says that 100,000 years ago, the level of the Mediterranean Sea was 120 meters lower than the current levels due to the presence of large polar caps, but even taking this into account, the mainland and the islands were separated by a strait, measured by many kilometers, and its depth reached 180 meters. In other words, it was impossible to overcome the distance by swimming.

Estimates by Greek scientists show that the Neanderthals mastered navigation and used it for about 50,000 years, which allowed them to spread widely and even reach Australia.

According to researchers, the distance between the Greek islands was small - about 12 kilometers, however, as a result of further studies, traces of Neanderthals were also found on the island of Crete, more than 40 kilometers away from other nearby islands.

Paleontologists suggest that Neanderthals were the first sailors and mastered the technique of floating on water even before Homo Sapiens. In addition, scientists suspect that, in general, the history of marine development, both among humans and among Neanderthals, has more ancient and broader roots than is currently believed.

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