Stone Age Odysseus 130,000 Years Ago

Stone Age Tools in Crete Show Man Sailed the Mediterranean 130,000 Years Ago

Excavation finds in Crete in 2010 indicate that man traveled the Mediterranean 130,000 years ago, and not 10,000 years ago as originally believed, according to Science magazine

In an article entitled “Searching for a Stone Age Odysseus”, it says that up until a decade ago, archaeologists assumed that the adventurous travels of Odysseus, as reflected in Homer’s Odyssey, were the first ventures in the Mediterranean, placed 10,000 years ago. Or that sea travel was a human endeavor that started in the Bronze Age.

However, excavators in 2010 claimed to have found stone tools in Crete dating back at least 130,000 years, leading to assumptions that man traveled the seas as early as in the Neanderthal stage.

The recent find indicates that the Neanderthal was navigating the Mediterranean. After all, Crete was inhabited, and Crete has been an island for over five million years, meaning that the people who lived there, somehow sailed to Crete.

Between 2008-09, a Greek-American scientific team found in the southern coastal location of Plakias hundreds of stone tools, which are very similar to tools used by Homo erectus over at least a million years ago, and Neanderthals 130,000 years ago.

One of the investigators claimed that these tools are indicative of Neanderthals’ maritime migrations from the Near and Middle East to Europe. An attempt to date gear has led to an estimate of at least 130,000 years of age, but doubts about their age remained, which did not help to dissipate the skepticism of other scientists for such a bold theory.

A few years back I posted a thread regarding this possibility here at ATS. Well, this seems to blow the previous dates out of the water, so to speak. I was thinking somewhere around 60 to 80 thousand years BCE not 130,000...

The debate as to were they Neanderthal or early Homo Sapiens has been raging but it seems clear for some that Neanderthal has taken the prize. Which for me is very interesting, It just proves that our ancient cousin was not a dumb brute. Also, I, in the back of my head, keep trying to figure out how another, ancient now extinct, hominid blood line from Siberia shows up strongly with people way out in the South Pacific.

I'm speaking of our other ancient genetic ancestors and Neanderthals cousins, the Denisovans. I think prehistoric seafaring wasn't as odd nor mysterious as many have speculated.

As always, stay tuned.

a reply to: SLAYER69

One of the reasons started ATS.

a reply to: SLAYER69

Thanks for the snippet. Fascinating. I think that our "experts" in this area know way, way less than they will ever admit and that they have severely underestimated the abilities of prehistoric man.

"Sailed" might not be the best word.

They more likely had some sort of canoes.

Or maybe canoes with sails.

Or were brilliant doggypaddlers.

Nice find, can't wait for more on it. As more has been learned as of late about ancient populations not far off to say sea travel had happened before recorded/known.

Thank you Slayer for making ATS great again! Your posts are always intriguing. I missed you.

Now, I have to get the thought of you and Hefficide (or your avatars) going to war.

a reply to: SLAYER69

It doesn’t seem that unreasonable when you look at a map.

They could have island hopped without much difficulty.

a reply to: SLAYER69

Hey it's nice to see you around man!

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
"Sailed" might not be the best word.

They more likely had some sort of canoes.

Or maybe canoes with sails.

Or were brilliant doggypaddlers.

The Polynesians crossed the Pacific in canoes.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

Sailed" might not be the best word. They more likely had some sort of canoes. Or maybe canoes with sails. Or were brilliant doggypaddlers.

Or floated there on a ice sheet .

a reply to: SLAYER69

Interesting article, but I don't see any photo of those stone age tools mentioned.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
"Sailed" might not be the best word.

They more likely had some sort of canoes.

Or maybe canoes with sails.

Or were brilliant doggypaddlers.

Also, the geography was different 130,000 years ago for sure.

MAGA

Make
ATS
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Again

Bless you

a reply to: SLAYER69

Sea level was lower then, might have been easier. Before there was even canoes, they probably had rafts.

a reply to: SLAYER69


Welcome back SLAYER!!!! I've missed your post around here. I'm almost positive it was one of your post I happened across through Google back in 2013 that brought me here to join.

I've always been fascinated with human history that doesn't fit in the academic narrative.

Good stuff.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
"Sailed" might not be the best word.

They more likely had some sort of canoes.

Or maybe canoes with sails.

Or were brilliant doggypaddlers.

Global Continental Displacement could have put these major geographical gaps in place.

originally posted by: toms54
a reply to: SLAYER69

Sea level was lower then, might have been easier. Before there was even canoes, they probably had rafts.

No, they weren't. 130 ka was in the EEmian interglacial period where sea levels were actually 20-30 ft/6-8m higher than today.

originally posted by: SLAYER69
Stone Age Tools in Crete Show Man Sailed the Mediterranean 130,000 Years Ago

Excavation finds in Crete in 2010 indicate that man traveled the Mediterranean 130,000 years ago, and not 10,000 years ago as originally believed, according to Science magazine

In an article entitled “Searching for a Stone Age Odysseus”, it says that up until a decade ago, archaeologists assumed that the adventurous travels of Odysseus, as reflected in Homer’s Odyssey, were the first ventures in the Mediterranean, placed 10,000 years ago. Or that sea travel was a human endeavor that started in the Bronze Age.

However, excavators in 2010 claimed to have found stone tools in Crete dating back at least 130,000 years, leading to assumptions that man traveled the seas as early as in the Neanderthal stage.

The recent find indicates that the Neanderthal was navigating the Mediterranean. After all, Crete was inhabited, and Crete has been an island for over five million years, meaning that the people who lived there, somehow sailed to Crete.

Between 2008-09, a Greek-American scientific team found in the southern coastal location of Plakias hundreds of stone tools, which are very similar to tools used by Homo erectus over at least a million years ago, and Neanderthals 130,000 years ago.

One of the investigators claimed that these tools are indicative of Neanderthals’ maritime migrations from the Near and Middle East to Europe. An attempt to date gear has led to an estimate of at least 130,000 years of age, but doubts about their age remained, which did not help to dissipate the skepticism of other scientists for such a bold theory.

A few years back I posted a thread regarding this possibility here at ATS. Well, this seems to blow the previous dates out of the water, so to speak. I was thinking somewhere around 60 to 80 thousand years BCE not 130,000...

The debate as to were they Neanderthal or early Homo Sapiens has been raging but it seems clear for some that Neanderthal has taken the prize. Which for me is very interesting, It just proves that our ancient cousin was not a dumb brute. Also, I, in the back of my head, keep trying to figure out how another, ancient now extinct, hominid blood line from Siberia shows up strongly with people way out in the South Pacific.

I'm speaking of our other ancient genetic ancestors and Neanderthals cousins, the Denisovans. I think prehistoric seafaring wasn't as odd nor mysterious as many have speculated.

As always, stay tuned.

Not the least bit surprised by the dates here. there are several islands more than 12 km from the coast of Greece like Kefallinia and Zakynthos, where we find Mousterian tools which were pretty specific to Neanderthal and those dates have come back in the 100Ka range. I'm pretty certain that Mousterian tools from 100 Ka have been found on Crete as well but I'll have to double check that.