Ancient Mystery Unveiled: Sicily’s First Humans Arrived Thousands of Years Earlier—What Does This Mean for History?
So here’s a nugget to make you rethink your next island getaway: prehistoric humans might have been the original accidental tourists — but instead of jet skis and ferries, they hopped on boats during the tail end of the Ice Age to settle in Sicily. Yeah, you read that right. New digs at San Teodoro cave near Acquedolci uncovered evidence that these savvy hunter-gatherers paddled their way across chilly seas some 16,500 years ago, way earlier than anyone thought. Imagine packing your spear and flint tools for the world’s earliest commuter ferry ride — talk about braving the elements with style! This discovery doesn’t just rewrite Sicily’s ancient travelogue; it raises the fun question: if they could cross by boat when glaciers loomed large, what’s stopping us today from an epic, prehistoric road trip? Intrigued yet? LEARN MORE.
New research at San Teodoro cave near the town of Acquedolci suggests that prehistoric humans arrived in Sicily by boat during the last Ice Age.
Forgia et al.San Teodoro Cave in Sicily, where early humans once settled.
San Teodoro cave in Sicily is one of the most important Pleistocene sites in the central Mediterranean. It’s been studied extensively over the years, with a special focus on a number of early human burials. But new research at the cave has revealed that humans settled in the cave — and in the larger Sicily region — much earlier than previously thought.
After excavating a deep layer of the cave, archaeologists determined that hunter-gatherers arrived in Sicily some 16,500 years ago, during the final years of the Ice Age.
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