TAMPA, FLORIDA—According to a CNN report, a now-submerged bridge made of large limestone blocks has been investigated in a cave on the Mediterranean island of Mallorca by Bogdan Onac of the University of South Florida and his colleagues. The researchers suggest that the bridge was constructed to connect the entrance of Genovesa Cave with a chamber located on the other side of an interior lake. Analysis of water marks and mineral accumulation on the 25-foot-long bridge indicate that it was built some 6,000 years ago. “The presence of this submerged bridge and other artifacts indicates a sophisticated level of activity, implying that early settlers recognized the cave’s water resources and strategically built infrastructure to navigate it,” Onac said. The bridge remained in use for 400 to 500 years, before the level of the lake rose and covered the structure, he concluded. Read the original scholarly article about this research in Communications Earth & Environment. To read about nearly 25,000-year-old cave paintings recently found in Spain's province of Valencia, go to "Paleo Palette."
