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Flints give Cyprus oldest seafaring link in Med
Reuters Today ^ | Tue Nov 22, 2005 | Michele Kambas

Posted on 11/22/2005 9:35:31 AM PST by SunkenCiv

Archaeologists have discovered what they believe is the earliest evidence yet of long distance seafaring in the eastern Mediterranean, undermining beliefs that ancient mariners never ventured into open seas... The flints are unlike anything found in the geological make-up of Cyprus, and more than 1,000 years older than the timing of the first permanent settlers to the island. The discovery adds to a body of evidence contradicting the widespread belief that ancient mariners would never venture out of sight of land or had limited navigational capabilities... Its earliest inhabitants, dated from the 9th millennium BC, are believed to be from the land mass which now rings it north and east.

(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.co.uk ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: archaeology; cyprus; godsgravesglyphs; heyerdahl; history; khirokitia; sturtmanning
A Preceramic culture uprooted itself and left the continent for Cyprus 8000 years ago. They didn't walk on water. Also, in 1960s Colin Renfrew et al detailed the obsidian trade out of Asia Minor and into the Aegean islands and Greece. The idea that people never ventured out of sight of shore is a modern invention.

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1 posted on 11/22/2005 9:35:31 AM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: blam; FairOpinion; Ernest_at_the_Beach; StayAt HomeMother; 24Karet; 3AngelaD; asp1; ...
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.
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2 posted on 11/22/2005 9:35:47 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Down with Dhimmicrats! I last updated my FR profile on Wednesday, November 2, 2005.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Flints give Cyprus oldest seafaring link in Med

Tue Nov 22, 2005 11:05 AM GMT
By Michele Kambas

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Archaeologists have discovered what they believe is the earliest evidence yet of long distance seafaring in the eastern Mediterranean, undermining beliefs that ancient mariners never ventured into open seas.

Fragments of stone implements believed to be up to 12,000 years old have been found at two sites of Cyprus, suggesting roving mariners used the areas as temporary camp sites after forays from what is today Syria and Turkey. The flints are unlike anything found in the geological make-up of Cyprus, and more than 1,000 years older than the timing of the first permanent settlers to the island.

The discovery adds to a body of evidence contradicting the widespread belief that ancient mariners would never venture out of sight of land or had limited navigational capabilities.

"If this is verified this would be the earliest evidence of seafaring in the East Mediterranean," said Pavlos Flourentzos, director of Cyprus's department of antiquities.

Cyprus, lying at least 30 miles away from any other land mass, was not settled by man 12,000 years ago, but there is evidence it was populated by pygmy elephants and hippopotamuses.

Its earliest inhabitants, dated from the 9th millennium BC, are believed to be from the land mass which now rings it north and east.

Flint fragments were found at sites on the southeast and the west of the island by Albert J. Ammerman, an archaeologist at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.

The site on the southeast is a hilly outcrop overlooking Nissi Beach, one of the most popular beaches on the island.

"Its a rock where they now do bungee jumping," Flourentzos told Reuters. "Ammerman was with his children on this particular beach when he found the fragments."

The disclosures were contained in an archaeological paper Ammerman released at a conference in Philadelphia in the United States in mid-November.

"They have yielded good evidence for the earliest voyaging in the Mediterranean and for the increased mobility of people at the end of the ice age and the beginning of agriculture," Ammerman was quoted as saying in Tuesday's edition of the New York Times.

3 posted on 11/22/2005 10:48:31 AM PST by blam
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also from Cyprus (I think it has been an FR topic):
Dig discovery is oldest pet cat
"Dig discovery is oldest pet cat"

4 posted on 11/22/2005 10:07:29 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Down with Dhimmicrats! I last updated my FR profile on Wednesday, November 2, 2005.)
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Khirokitia
Cyprus at a Glance | June 26, 2001 | staff
Posted on 12/25/2004 7:20:25 PM PST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1308479/posts


5 posted on 11/22/2005 10:14:14 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Down with Dhimmicrats! I last updated my FR profile on Wednesday, November 2, 2005.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Ancient seafaring in the Med.

One pingy dingy...*snort*


6 posted on 11/23/2005 11:04:28 AM PST by Graymatter
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7 posted on 11/27/2009 8:22:34 PM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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