Scientists discover that some Ice age mariners were present in pre-historic Greece
August 30th, 2011 - 8:02 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattAthens, Aug 30 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Scientists have discovered that long before the end of the last ice age, travelers were moving on the Aegean Sea in hunt for a precious stone.
The precious stones were used for various tools. While some of the tools were used by the local men, some of them were shipped to other parts of the ancient world, the new study has revealed.
Scientists say the stone is obsidian which is only found in Melos. Nicolaos Laskaris of the University of the Aegean in Greece explained that the stones were gradually shipped to other parts of the world. Melos is in the present day Greek regions of Antiparos and Yali.
Laskaris explained that, “They were sailors, certainly, especially in the Aegean region they followed little islands jumping like a frog reaching also Asia Minor and the Greek mainland. Until now only in Franchthi cave obsidians had been found at circa 8,500 B.C. Now we prove earlier contact with coastal sites was a fact.”
The study was published in the Journal of Archeological Science. The study has been published in September 2011 edition of the journal.
Using new dating techniques, Laskaris and his team determined that people had been mining for the stone in Greece long before the end of the last ice age.
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Tags: aegean region, aegean sea, antiparos, asia minor, frog, greece athens, greek mainland, greek regions, journal of archeological science, last ice age, little islands, mariners, obsidian, precious stone, precious stones, sailors, scientists, travelers, university of the aegean, yali