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Scientists discovered ancient stone megastructures from the Stone Age at the bottom of the Baltic sea. (Photo: Geersen et al., PNAS, 2024)
JAKARTA – Beneath the cold and dark waves of the Baltic Sea, a piece of history is hidden. In Mecklenburg Bay, Germany, 21 meters below sea level, scientists discovered an ancient stone megastructure, dating to the Stone Age, more than 10,000 years ago.
Stretching nearly a kilometer (0.62 miles) long and composed of huge boulders, the structure appears to have been purpose-built, thousands of years before it was submerged by the sea.
A German research team led by geophysicist Jacob Geersen of the University of Kiel believes the structure was a wall, perhaps to aid hunting efforts by the people who inhabited the region thousands of years ago.
They named this discovery Blinkerwall. “The site is one of the oldest documented man-made hunting structures on Earth, and is among the largest known Stone Age structures in Europe,” the researchers wrote.
“He will be important for understanding acquisition strategies, mobility patterns, and inspiring discussions on regional developments in the Western Baltic Sea region.”
Earth's land masses have changed significantly over millennia, shaped by tectonic movements, erosion, and climate processes such as glaciation and changes in sea level. Many coastal settlements and structures have been taken by waves over time, languishing, either hidden from view or difficult to reach.
In recent years, however, ever-evolving technology has begun to uncover hidden treasures beneath the seabed. Geersen and his team discovered Blinkerwall using high-resolution hydroacoustic imaging, autonomous underwater vehicles, and human divers to explore the bay, and map the true extent of the structure.
The underwater morphology of the region, collected using remote vehicles. The data collected revealed a long series of approximately 1,670 individual stones, stretching approximately 971 meters. These stones tend to be less than a meter high and less than 2 meters wide, sitting side by side along the length of the structure.
The consistency and neatness, the team said, are unlikely to be the result of natural processes, such as glacial transport or being pushed by ice. Additionally, the structure appears to be adjacent to an ancient shoreline or marsh. However, Blinkerwall is unlikely to be used as a fish snare, as researchers were unable to find the water flow required for proper functionality.