Early humans may have walked from Turkey to mainland Europe, research suggests

The continuous wicks, now submerged, may have allowed the first humans to cross between current Turkey and Europe, reveal new research from this largely unexplored region.

The results, published in The Journal of Island and Coastal ArchaeologyUnveil a Paleolithic presence before undocumented in Ayvalık and, more importantly, could close the migration of our species to the continent.

It has long been thought that Homo Sapiens has reached Europe mainly by coming via the Balkans and the Levant, from Africa in the Middle East.

However, with this new discovery of 138 lithic artefacts on 10 sites, in a region of 200 km², the suggestion is that long before its olive-bosquets and its charm by the sea, the north-east coast of the Ayvalık Aegean (now Turkey) was in fact another path for the first humans sailing in a changing prehistoric world.

“Our archaeological discovery has revealed that this now idyllic region once offered a vital terrestrial bridge for the human movement at the time of the Pleistocene – when sea level fell and the now submerged landscape has been briefly exposed,” explains Dr. Göknur Karahan, of the department of archeology, expertise, from the University of Hacettepe, to Turkey.

“We are very excited and delighted with this discovery. These results mark Ayvalık as a new potential border in the history of human evolution, placing it firmly on the map of human prehistory – opening a new possibility on the way in which the first humans entered Europe.

“It looks like we add an entirely new page to the history of human dispersion. Our research raises fascinating possibilities for future exploration, and we hope that it will appear as a set of works that will move the approach to the archeology of the Pleistocene for the decades to come.”

How were these results possible?

During the ice age, sea level fell by more than 100 meters, exposing large coastal plains which are now underwater. At that time, the islands of today and the Ayvalık peninsulas were in fact part of a continuous terrestrial mass, forming a natural bridge between Anatolia and Europe.

The tools found in this current discovery are just along the current coastline and mark evidence of people living and moving in these landscapes now allowed.

Factors such as environmental processes and depth of deposits have previously limited the ability to detect and keep leftover in Ayvalık.

“In all these periods, the current islands and the Ayvalık peninsulas would have formed interior zones in a vast terrestrial environment,” explains the co-author, Professor Kadriye Özçelik, of the University of Ankara.

“These paleogeographic reconstructions underline the importance of the region to understand the dispersions of hominins across the northeast of the aegis during the Pleistocene.”

What was found?

The changing geology of the region and the active coasts in the north of the SIP has made conservation difficult and the number of articles uncovered “Limited”. However, this research team managed to discover Levallois technologies from various Paleolithic periods, as well as the Handax and the Climate.

Among the most important discoveries are Levallois style flakes tools, sophisticated tools linked to the Mousterian tradition of the central Paleolithic – they are often associated with Neanderthals and the first Homo Sapiens.

“These great cutting tools are among the most emblematic artefacts in the Paleolithic and are instantly recognizable today, the same goes for a very important discovery,” explains Dr. Karahan.

“The presence of these objects in Ayvalık is particularly important because they provide direct proof that the region was part of wider technological traditions shared through Africa, Asia and Europe.”

Describing the initial discovery of the 131 elements, Dr. Karahan adds: “It was a really unforgettable moment for us. Holding the first tools in our hands was both emotional and inspiring.

“And each discovery from there was a moment of excitement for the whole team.

“Keep these objects – after walking through landscapes where no one had ever documented Paleolithic remains – was unforgettable.”

What does this discovery tell us about the first humans?

The key argument of experts is based on Ayvalık’s potential as a dynamic site for interaction and exchange, facilitating the early human movement between the Anatolia and Europe peninsula.

Explore how Anatolia, with a specific accent on Ayvalık, and Europe was linked during low-sea levels at sea level offers alternative ways for the way in which the first humans moved to the region beyond the ways centered on the north of the continent.

Addressing a gap in the scholarship, the work of the authors provides a new basis to examine the resources and migration routes in which Ayvalık may have appeared in the context of a mobility corridor.

The performance of the survey on tools demonstrates a “coherent use of Levallois technology and the production of flakes … and a diversified toolbox”, while all artifacts offer together what the state of the team is “precious information on early human presence, preferences of raw materials and technological variability”.

“The results brush a living table of early human adaptation, innovation and mobility along the Aegean,” said Dr. Karahan.

“The results have confirmed that Ayvalık – which had never been studied before for its Paleolithic potential – exceeds the vital traces of early human activity.”

Incredible wirers, hundreds of thousands of years later

As it was an investigation (carried out over a period of two weeks in June 2022) rather than a search, the team could not be a certain thing of what they would find when they leave. They knew about the geology and paleogeography of the region that there was potential. They explored – often muddy (especially in plains and coastal plains) – on foot.

What followed was a “discovery of such a diverse and well -preserved set of artefacts, which exceeded our expectations,” said Dr. Karahan.

Although these recovery efforts were not without challenges, the authors explore what the challenges and the results reveal in the document.

They say: “The widespread muddy coverage was considered a limiting factor for the preservation and detectability of Paleolithic materials.

“However, despite these constraints, high -quality raw material sources, such as flint and calcédonia, have been identified in several places, including the areas affected by the alluvial deposit.”

Future potential

The author, Dr. Hande Bulut, of the University of Düzce, adds: “In the end, the results underline the potential of Ayvalık as a long -term hominin habitat and a key area to understand the Paleolithic technological characteristics of the Eastern Estéen.

“Although preliminary, the current results underline the potential of the region to contribute to broader debates on Aegean connectivity and technological evolution during the Pleistocene.

“In a fascinating way, the region between the northern Aegean and the Anatolian continent can still have precious clues to the early occupation despite the challenges posed by active geomorphological processes.”

The team recommends that future research uses a multidisciplinary approach to describe absolute encounters, stratigraphic excavation and paleoenvironmental reconstruction, which they describe as “essential to clarify the temporal depth and the functional character of the Ayvalı assembly”.