Scientists Uncover New Dates for the Arrival of Early Humans in Cyprus

Researchers from Flinders University (Australia) have revealed new insights into the arrival of the first humans on Cyprus. They estimate that hunter-gatherers settled on the island over 14,000 years ago.

Their findings, published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggest that humans reached the Mediterranean island thousands of years earlier than previously believed.

Through the analysis of 10 of the oldest sites across Cyprus, scientists determined that human habitation in the region dates back to a period between 14,257 and 13,182 years ago.

The study also indicates that the early colonization of Cyprus coincided with climatic changes, including increased temperature, precipitation, and environmental productivity. These factors likely facilitated the growth of large populations of early communities.

The research suggests that two or three major migration events led to the appearance of large groups of people, ranging from hundreds to thousands, on the island in less than 100 years. Over the next 300 years, the population of Cyprus grew to between 4,000 and 5,000 people.

According to "Gazeta.ru," scientists believe that this discovery offers a new perspective on the history of human settlement in Cyprus and other islands in the eastern Mediterranean.

Previously, it was thought that the first human migration to Cyprus occurred after coastal areas were flooded due to rising sea levels following the Ice Age.

However, the new data indicates that humans settled on the island long before adopting a sedentary way of life.