18-07-2025
Evidence of settlement dating back up to 8,000 years uncovered
Archaeologists have uncovered what they believe to be Europe 's oldest human settlement on the shores of Lake Ohrid.
The organised hunting and farming community lived up to 8,000 years ago, making it half a millennium older than similar settlements found in Alpine and Mediterranean regions.
Working three metres underwater, teams from Switzerland and Albania are retrieving well-preserved wooden stilts, animal bones, copper objects and ceramics.
Radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology confirm the age of the findings, which indicate the inhabitants played a role in spreading agriculture and livestock across Europe.
The site, believed to span six hectares, has only been one per cent excavated after six years, with full exploration potentially taking decades.
