The oldest village in Europe has been discovered.

The archaeological team had to dive to the bottom of the lake to collect data.

Following excavations, archaeologists have confirmed that the ruins beneath Lake Ohrid, a lake region on the border between North Macedonia and Albania, were once inhabited by a community 8,500 years ago, according to USA Today on August 20.

Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lake systems in the world , with an average depth of 155 meters, and a maximum depth of 288 meters.

Carbon isotope analysis reveals traces of human settlements in this area dating back to between 6000 and 5800 BC.

"The settlement predates communities in the Mediterranean and Alps by several hundred years," according to archaeology professor Albert Hafner of the University of Bern (Switzerland).

"To our knowledge, this is the oldest village in Europe," Professor Hafner confirmed.

Mr. Hafner and his Swiss and Albanian colleagues have spent the past four years surveying the remains beneath the lake. Their findings suggest that the area was once home to between 200 and 500 people, surrounded by layers of defensive barriers in the form of barbed wire.

To build a defensive structure of this scale, the villagers in the past had to cut down an entire forest, Hafner said. However, to this day, researchers are still unclear why the ancient people needed to protect their village so meticulously.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-lang-co-nhat-o-chau-au-185230821103627546.htm