Archaeologists have uncovered an incredible 3,000-foot-long ancient stone wall submerged in the Baltic Sea, which could rewrite our understanding of prehistoric life in Europe.
Known as the Blinkerwall, the structure lies about 70ft (21m) underwater in the Bay of Mecklenburg, roughly 6.2 miles (10 kilometres) northwest of Rerik, Germany, according to PNAS.
It is made up of nearly 1,700 stones and stretches over 3,000ft (971m). It is also up to 7ft wide (2m) and stands less than 3ft (1m) high in most areas.
Researchers believe the wall was constructed by early human communities more than 10,000 years ago, during the Mesolithic period, before the area was submerged by rising sea levels around 8,500 years ago.
A team led by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemunde has secured nearly one million euros (£830,000) in funding for a project to study the Blinkerwall.
Running from 2025 to 2027, the research will involve collaborations with the Leibniz Center for Archaeology and universities in Rostock and Kiel.
The project aims to explore the origins of the wall and its role in prehistoric life.
One theory suggests it may have been used for hunting reindeer, indicating a more complex and stationary lifestyle for hunter-gatherer communities than previously thought.
The researchers said: “The presence of such a large, deliberate structure challenges long-held beliefs that early hunter-gatherer societies were entirely nomadic.”
A 3D model of the Blinkerwall has already been created, giving a detailed glimpse of a short section of the wall.
However, the structure’s purpose remains a mystery, but researchers are eager to determine if it was part of a larger settlement or a unique standalone construction.
Natural causes, such as underwater currents or retreating glaciers, have already been ruled out as explanations for its existence.
The Blinkerwall not only offers a fascinating look into prehistoric life but could also force a re-evaluation of what we know about early European societies.
The researchers explained: “This discovery sheds light on a prehistoric lifestyle that was more advanced than we previously understood.”
More information can be found here.