Archaeologists have uncovered a lost city, called the “Stone Age Atlantis,” deep under the waters of Denmark’s Bay of Aarhus. The settlement is believed to have gone underwater about 8,500 years ago when the last ice age ended and sea levels rose, drowning many coastal Stone Age sites.

Evidence of early human life

Researchers excavated around 430 square feet of the seabed and found clear signs of human activity. Among the discoveries were stone tools, animal bones, arrowheads, and a piece of wood shaped like a tool. These finds suggest that people once lived here in an organised community.

Underwater archaeologist Peter Moe Astrup described the site as a “time capsule.” He explained, “Everything was preserved in an oxygen-free environment, and time just stopped.” Astrup also noted that the rising seas of that period “dramatically altered coastlines.”

While similar Stone Age settlements have been found on land, this is the first time such a discovery has been made under the sea in Denmark. Scientists believe more evidence may still be hidden, such as harpoons, fish hooks, and remains of fishing structures, showing how Mesolithic people depended on the sea for food.

International project to explore the seabed

The discovery was made under a $15.5 million six-year international project to map parts of the Baltic and North Seas and locate submerged Mesolithic settlements.

This summer, researchers used a specialised underwater vacuum to dig 26 feet below the sea near Aarhus, carefully scanning every inch to collect artefacts. The next stage of the project will involve exploring two new locations in the North Sea, which scientists say will be more challenging due to rough conditions.

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