An immersed, human-constructed limestone bridge discovered inside a cavern on a Spanish island is much older than formerly believed, pressing back the record of when people lived in the place, a brand-new research study discovers.

Scientist found the limestone bridge in 2000 throughout a scuba-diving exploration inside the flooded collapse Mallorca, a Mediterranean island found off the eastern coast of Spain’s mainland. At the time, scientists identified that the 25-foot-long (7.6 meters) bridge, which includes big limestone obstructs stacked on top of each other, was developed around 4,400 years back, according to a research study released Friday (Aug. 30) in the journal Communications Earth & & Environment

“This dating was based upon pottery pieces that were discovered inside the cavern,” lead author Bogdan Onaca teacher of geology at the University of South Florida, informed Live Science. “But now we understand that this [date] was incorrect.”

In addition to the damaged artifacts, the cavern was cluttered with bones from a now-extinct goat-antelope called Myotragus balearicusaccording to a declaration from the university.

When individuals inhabited the cavern still stayed uncertain.

Related: Ancient human beings utilized collapse Spain as burial area for 4 centuries, 7,000 bones expose

Despite the fact that Mallorca is a big island, it was among the last to be occupied in the Mediterranean. On the other hand, Cyprus and Crete are thought about to be the earliest islands in the location and were inhabited a minimum of 9,000 years earlier, according to a research study in the journal Science

To identify the real date of the bridge’s building, scientists studied a “unique light-colored band”– similar to a “tub ring”– running along the bridge’s upper part, according to the research study. The shift in pigmentation reveals modifications in water level, along with the advancement of calcite encrustations that formed on the bridge when the water increased.

Upon examining the mineral deposits, which are likewise referred to as speleothems, scientists identified that the bridge was built roughly 6,000 years earlier, pressing back the timeline of human existence on the island by 1,600 years.

“This affirms that the water level sat there for a couple a century, permitting the mark to take place,” Onac stated. “The time when the bridge was built likewise reveals that individuals were using this cavern much earlier than formerly believed, closing the space in between eastern and western Mediterranean settlements.”

The scientists stated even more research study is needed to figure out why Mallorca was settled behind other islands in the area, however it might be due to the fact that the island did not have resources required for survival, such as farmable land.

Jennifer Nalewicki is a Salt Lake City-based reporter whose work has actually been included in The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Scientific American, Popular Mechanics and more. She covers numerous science subjects from world Earth to paleontology and archaeology to health and culture. Prior to freelancing, Jennifer held an Editor function sometimes Inc. Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin.