Archaeologists discover incredible 7,000-year-old road below Mediterranean Sea

At the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea lies an incredible 7,000-year-old road, which once connected an ancient settlement to Korcula Island, in Croatia. The major discovery was made just off the island's western coast by archaelogists from the University of Zadar. The now-sumberged Neolithic site of Soline, which sits in the Meditterranean Sea's northernmost arm - the Adriatic, dates back to around 4,900 BC.

The road uncovered was measured to be around 13 feet wide, which is bigger than than the average 12 feet single lane in the UK. The search led by archaelogist Mate Parica came as the expert saw satellite imagery of the site and wanted to inspect it further. After diving into the sea with his team, they found remarkable walls of the old settlement.

In a Facebook statement, the Univeristy of Zadar said: "In underwater archaeological research of the submerged neolithic site of Soline on the island of Korcula, archaeologists found remains that surprised them. Namely, beneath the deposits of sea slime, a road that connected the submerged prehistoric settelment of Hvar culture with the coast of island Korcula."

The experts used radiocarbon analysis of preserved wood that had previously been found around the site which allowed them to date back the entire settlement, revealing that people walked along the road "almost 7,000 years ago".

The research was a result of a collobration of the university and several museums. Despite the discovery being first made in 2021, it was only years after that the road was confirmed.

Speaking at the time of the discovery, Mata Parica told Reuters: "The fortunate thing is that this area, unlike most parts of the Mediterranean, is safe from big waves as many islands protect the coast. That certainly helped preserve the site from natural destruction."

Stone walls surrounding the settlement, along with tools and other objects used by the inhabitants were also unearthed. "We found some ceramic objects and flint knives," the expert shared.

The additonal discoveries found at a depth of 13 to 16 feet below the surface of the sea are believed to be part of an old village. The site where the walls were constructed was cutt from the rest of the island by a small trip of land.