Geologists study 5,600-year-old submerged bridge; new details of life emerge from Mallorca, Spain

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The Israeli Antiquities Authority touts the value of a stone ring from the era of the First Temple, roughly the 7th or 8th BCE. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority.)

A study led by the University of South Florida has uncovered new details about the colonization of Mallorca, Spain.

An underwater bridge located inside Genovesa Cave was first discovered by researchers in 2000, according to Dr. Bogdan Onac, a geology professor at the University of South Florida and leader of the study, in an email to Fox News Digital.

At the time, it was estimated that the bridge was 3,500 years old, primarily based on pottery that was found close to where the bridge was created, but the new study has dated the ancient limestone bridge back even further.

New research on an underwater limestone bridge in Mallorca, Spain, has unveiled new details about human life in the area. (R. Landreth)

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The research team studied the 25-foot submerged bridge and published its findings on Aug. 30, 2024, in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

New research has found that the bridge was actually built nearly 6,000 years ago, indicating that human life in Mallorca dates back further than what was previously thought.

"By estimating the timeline of the bridge construction, our research suggests that humans likely arrived on Mallorca nearly 2,000 years earlier than previously thought," Onac told Fox News Digital. "This discovery significantly narrows the gap between the colonization timelines of islands in the eastern (started 13,000 years ago) and western Mediterranean."

Divers went underwater to collect mineral samples that aided in giving the bridge an updated estimated date. As it turned out, the bridge was built 2,000 years earlier than originally thought. (B.P. Onac)

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To discover the bridge's age, researchers looked at "mineral overgrowth on preexisting stalactites near the bridge" as well as "analyzed the elevation of a coloration band" that was found on its upper section.

To gather mineral samples, divers were sent about five meters below the water surface.

"Both indicators suggest that these features formed during a period of sea-level still [and] stand between 5,800 and 5,500 years ago. This implies that the bridge must have been constructed before this time frame, but not after 5,600 years ago, as the sea level would have already risen above the bridge by then," Onac told Fox News Digital. 

The fact that the stone bridge was underwater provokes the question of its preservation. 

Due to factors like the tourism in Mallorca, had this ancient stone bridge been above water, it may not have been as well-preserved as it is today. (B.P. Onac)

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Being submerged actually helped the preservation of the stone bridge. If it had been above water, there are a lot of elements it would have interacted with that could have interfered with its conservation.

"The submersion of the stone bridge actually helped preserve it," Onac said.

"Constructed from large limestone blocks, likely sourced from cave breakdowns, the flooding served as a protective measure. Had the bridge been exposed, especially with the impact of mass tourism in Mallorca, its fate could have been quite different," Onac continued. "Fortunately, water does not damage limestone, so the bridge remains well-preserved in its submerged state."