Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Stone Wall Built by Palaeolithic Hunters
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Chapter 1: The Remarkable Discovery
Recent archaeological advancements have led to groundbreaking discoveries, including a stone wall potentially constructed by Palaeolithic hunters over 10,000 years ago. This ancient structure, now submerged near the Baltic Sea, challenges previous assumptions about early human intelligence and capabilities.
Traditionally, archaeologists faced limitations in their exploration due to accessibility issues. However, with technological innovations like LiDAR, researchers can now analyze landscapes obscured by dense vegetation from the air, revealing hidden structures. Additionally, sonar technology enables them to investigate underwater sites, leading to a surge in archaeological findings that reshape our understanding of human history.
Section 1.1: The Field Course
In the Fall of 2021, marine geologist Jacob Geersen conducted a field course for the University of Kiel aboard a research vessel in the Baltic Sea. Teaching outdoors, Geersen engaged his students in mapping the seafloor during night shifts. One evening, upon reviewing the data, they discovered something unusual beneath the waves.
Geersen recounted to Ari Daniel of NPR, “We realized there was something significant on the seafloor.” Unlike the common readings of scattered rocks from ancient glaciers, this particular formation appeared to be distinctly aligned.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Discovery of Blinkerwall
This meandering line of stones extended for over half a mile (nearly a kilometer) and prompted a return visit with a new group of students the following year. Their exploration confirmed the existence of a wall constructed from over a thousand rocks, standing approximately 1.5 feet tall.
Geersen and his team named this structure "Blinkerwall," after a nearby underwater mound. The wall measures about 1.5 feet in height, 6 feet in width, and stretches 3,185 feet in length. Its construction involves 288 large boulders and 1,673 smaller stones, likely sourced from the surrounding area.
Section 1.2: Understanding Its Purpose
The next logical question arose: what was the purpose of Blinkerwall? To answer this, researchers compared it to similar archaeological structures globally. These findings suggest that Palaeolithic hunters utilized the natural landscape to direct prey towards vulnerable locations for easier hunting.
One notable example is Stellmoor, north of Hamburg, where thousands of reindeer bones were discovered, indicating that hunters effectively used the valley to channel reindeer into a lake. Unlike Stellmoor, where the landscape likely remained untouched, Blinkerwall represents an advanced adaptation of this hunting strategy, showcasing the hunters' understanding of animal behavior.
Chapter 2: A Different Era and Environment
During the Late Upper Palaeolithic, when Blinkerwall was likely built, the landscape of northwest Europe was vastly different. As the Pleistocene era ended, glacial melting created favorable conditions for early humans to construct sophisticated structures like Blinkerwall.
This period marked significant advancements in human intelligence, including the domestication of dogs and the decoration of tools. Such innovations challenge the outdated view of prehistoric humans as primitive beings, suggesting instead that they possessed complex cultural practices and a deep understanding of their environment.
Perspective Shift
For too long, the image of early humans has been limited to that of simple gatherers and hunters. However, discoveries like Blinkerwall reveal that these ancient people were highly intelligent and adept at navigating their natural surroundings.
As we reassess our perceptions of these prehistoric societies, it becomes clear that they had rich cultures, art, and belief systems. Despite the distance of millennia and technological progress, we may find that we share more in common with our ancestors than we realize.
This article was originally published in the author’s newsletter, Curious Adventure, and has been republished on Medium with permission.