'Opens up new prospects': Ancient underwater wall discovered off French coast; hints at coastal societies

Marine archaeologists successful France person discovered a monolithic 7,000-year-old partition nether the oversea disconnected the occidental seashore of Brittany, shedding caller airy connected aboriginal coastal societies. The 120-metre-long granite structure, recovered adjacent the Ile de Sein, is the largest underwater operation ever discovered successful France.

It was accompanied by a twelve smaller manmade structures dating to the aforesaid period.The findings were published successful the International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, connection caller insights into aboriginal coastal settlements and their adaptation to rising oversea levels."This is simply a precise absorbing find that opens up caller prospects for underwater archaeology, helping america amended recognize however coastal societies were organised," Yvan Pailler, prof of archaeology astatine the University of Western Brittany and co-author of the report, told AFP.The partition was archetypal identified successful 2017 by retired geologist Yves Fouquet, who spotted it connected undersea charts generated utilizing laser technology. Divers explored the tract betwixt 2022 and 2024, confirming the beingness of the granite structures. "Archaeologists did not expect to find specified well-preserved structures successful specified a harsh setting," Fouquet said.Dating from betwixt 5,800 and 5,300 BC, the partition lies astir 9 metres underwater.

At the clip of its construction, oversea levels were overmuch lower, and the tract would person been connected the shoreline, betwixt precocious and debased tide marks. Archaeologists judge it whitethorn person served arsenic a food trap oregon a dyke to support against rising seas.According to BBC, the partition is connected mean 20 metres wide and 2 metres high. Large granite monoliths protrude supra the partition successful 2 parallel lines, perchance supporting nets made of sticks and branches if it functioned arsenic a food trap.

With an estimated full wide of 3,300 tonnes, the operation would person required a substantial, well-organised assemblage to conception it.Pailler noted the method skills displayed by the builders were remarkable: "It was built by a precise structured nine of hunter-gatherers, of a benignant that became sedentary erstwhile resources permitted. That oregon it was made by 1 of the Neolithic populations that arrived present astir 5,000 BC."The BBC reports that the monoliths predate the celebrated Neolithic menhirs of Brittany, suggesting a transmission of stone-working cognition from Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to incoming Neolithic agriculturists. Researchers besides judge specified submerged sites whitethorn person inspired Breton legends of sunken cities, including the mythical metropolis of Ys, located a fewer kilometres eastbound successful the Bay of Douarnenez.