Paleolithic Seafaring

In his talk ‘Crete Before the Cretans: Paleolithic Mariners in the Mediterranean,’ Thomas Strasser discussed his finds of alleged Paleolithic artifacts in the Plakias region of southwestern Crete. In the past, it has been believed that Crete was first inhabited in the Neolithic period. If these tools are indeed authentic, it would push back the date of occupation in this area as well as the practice of hominid seafaring considerably.

Strasser has found a number of quartz lithic technologies in marine terraces that geological data dates to at least 130,000 BP (and probably significantly older). Quarts is not the most easily knappable material but there are not better options on the island. Consequently these quarts lithics look rather crude. The lithic assemblage includes Acheulean biface hand axes, scrapers, and cleavers.

Strasser is convinced that these quartz finding are authentic artifacts, but based on their crude nature, it seems possible that they are actually ecofacts. However, if Paleolithic artifacts were really present in Crete 130,000 plus years ago, this would be a tremendously important find, with significant implications for the hominid colonization of Europe.

These findings raise the questions: who was seafaring in the Mediterranean at such an early date? And what was the extent of their maritime technology? Homo heidelbergensis is the earliest hominid found in Greece. Besides heidelbergensis remains, a Neanderthal tooth is the only other evidence for non-sapien occupation in Greece. Both of these were found on mainland Greece, so they do not give any indications for early maritime activity.

If these quartz findings represent genuine artifacts, it would be quite exciting! It would suggest that early Homo had seafaring capabilities! Could it be possible that these tools give evidence for seafaring Neanderthals? Regardless of who was making these tools, it seems like this could have significant implications for Early Homo cognitive capabilities.

Thomas Strasser. “Crete Before the Cretans: Paleolithic Mariners in the Mediterranean.” Colorado Scientific Society. April 21, 2011.