Archaeologists find ancient Aboriginal sites underwater, off the coast of Australia

Researchers have found the first confirmed underwater Aboriginal archaeological sites off the coast of Australia, and predict that there are many more to be discovered.

Many settlements were built in areas that were on dry land at the end of the Ice Age, when sea levels were lower, but were submerged as the sea rose, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal PLOS ONE.

The Australian coast extended 100 miles farther out to sea than it does now, say a team of researchers led by archaeologist Jonathan Benjamin of Flinders University in Adelaide, so it is likely that many ancient sites are underwater.

Read more: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/01/australia/aboriginal-archaeological-sites-underwater-scli-intl-scn/index.html