In Pictures: Archaeologists uncover Europe's oldest stilt village

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In Pictures: Archaeologists uncover Europe's oldest stilt village

Radiocarbon dating from the Albanian site puts it at between 6000 and 5800 BC

Published: August 15, 2023 10:30 AFP

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Copy of 228756-01-02-1692078227568 — Beneath the turquoise waters of Lake Ohrid, the "Pearl of the Balkans", scientists have uncovered what may be one of Europe's earliest sedentary communities, and are trying to solve the mystery of why it sheltered behind a fortress of defensive spikes. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 228753-01-02-1692078221701 — A stretch of the Albanian shore of the lake once hosted a settlement of stilt houses some 8,000 years ago, archaeologists believe, making it the oldest lakeside village in Europe discovered to date. Radiocarbon dating from the site puts it at between 6000 and 5800 BC. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 228761-01-02-1692078233839 — "It is several hundred years older than previously known lake-dwelling sites in the Mediterranean and Alpine regions," said Albert Hafner, a professor of archaeology from Switzerland's University of Bern. "To our knowledge, it is the oldest in Europe," he told AFP. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 228754-01-02-1692078224682 — Hafner and his team of Swiss and Albanian archaeologists have spent the past four years carrying out excavations at Lin on the Albanian side of Lake Ohrid, which straddles the mountainous border of North Macedonia and Albania. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 228764-01-02-1692078240893 — And it is slowly revealing some astonishing secrets. During a recent dive, archaeologists uncovered evidence suggesting the settlement was fortified with thousands of spiked planks used as defensive barricades. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 228759-01-02-1692078230416 — For the time being, scientists say it is possible to assume that the village relied on agriculture and domesticated livestock for food. "We found various seeds, plants and the bones of wild and domesticated animals," said Ilir Gjepali, an Albanian archaeology professor working at the site. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 228762-01-02-1692078236780 — Analysis of the tree rings helps the team reconstruct the daily life of the area's inhabitants - providing "valuable insights into the climatic and environmental conditions" from the period, said Albanian archaeologist Adrian Anastasi. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 228765-01-02-1692078243767 — A diver searching for archaeological material in Lake Ohrid, southeastern Albania. Image Credit: AFP

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Copy of 229652-01-02-1692078246995 — Lake Ohrid is one of the oldest lakes in the world and has been around for more than a million years. Assisted by professional divers, archaeologists have been picking through the bottom of the lake often uncovering fossilised fragments of wood and prized pieces of oak. Image Credit: AFP

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