History books are being rewritten: They spread from Ayvalık to Europe

According to the study's results, this landmass periodically surfaced during the Pleistocene Epoch (approximately 2.5 million to 11,700 years ago) as sea levels dropped, making it walkable. This may have created a new migration route to Europe for Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.

The research, published in the journal Island and Coastal Archaeology, reveals findings that could lead scientists to reassess the region's importance in human evolution.

STONE TOOLS FOUND ON THE COASTS OF AYVALIK

During fieldwork, a total of 138 stone tools were found at 10 different locations along the Ayvalık coast. Their shape and technological features suggest that humans may have passed through this region and used it as a passageway.

Dr. Göknur Karahan of Hacettepe University said, "This archaeological discovery reveals that Ayvalık, a quiet and touristic area today, was a vital gateway for human mobility during the Pleistocene. Our findings place Ayvalık as a new frontier on the map of human evolution."

KNOWN FALSE COMES OUT, HISTORY BOOKS ARE BEING REWRITTEN

For many years, the scientific world assumed that the first humans reached Europe via the Balkans or the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean). However, this land bridge also raises the possibility of a direct passage from Anatolia to Europe via the Aegean.

Among the stone tools found, researchers identified examples produced using Levallois technology. This production technique is associated with Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens populations of the Middle Pleistocene. Tools from the Mousterian tradition were particularly noteworthy.

MAY HAVE BEEN SURFACED AGAIN

This discovery is also of great geological significance. During the last Ice Age, global sea levels were hundreds of meters lower than they are today due to the volume of glaciers. This led to the formation of temporary land connections such as the Bering Land Bridge (connecting Asia to the Americas) and Doggerland (the North Sea).

The Ayvalık land bridge may have appeared briefly and then been submerged again, similar to these geological passages.