ACQUEDOLCI, Sicily — A groundbreaking archaeological study has uncovered compelling evidence that prehistoric humans settled in Sicily at least 16,500 years ago, significantly earlier than previously believed. The findings, published in Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, come from a deep excavation at the San Teodoro cave near the northern Sicilian town of Acquedolci.
The research team used advanced dating techniques on a newly exposed sediment layer, uncovering charred wood, animal bones, and stone tools. The material dates to the final stages of the last Ice Age — a period during which Sicily was already separated from the Italian mainland, implying that the early settlers likely arrived by boat.
“This changes our understanding of early Mediterranean seafaring,” said one of the study’s lead researchers. “It’s clear that hunter-gatherers had the ability to cross open water and settle isolated environments far earlier than we assumed.”
Rethinking Early Migration in the Mediterranean
For decades, San Teodoro cave has been considered one of the central Pleistocene sites in the Mediterranean. Known primarily for its Upper Paleolithic human burials, the cave has drawn interest from anthropologists and geneticists studying early European populations.
But the latest excavations — reaching layers previously untouched since the cave’s partial discovery in the 1940s — have confirmed what Italian archaeologist Paolo Graziosi hypothesized nearly 80 years ago: that the cave’s deepest levels could chronicle even earlier human occupation.
Graziosi had suggested in 1947 that beneath the known burial layers, there might exist evidence of older settlement activity. Researchers finally tested this theory using modern radiocarbon dating and sediment analysis, confirming the layer dates back to circa 16,500 years before present.
Stone Tools, Burned Bones, and Ice Age Climate
The team discovered a variety of artifacts indicating active human habitation, including stone implements, faunal remains, and charcoal from controlled fires. The findings paint a picture of Ice Age hunter-gatherers adapting to coastal environments and possibly engaging in early forms of marine navigation.
At the time, sea levels were substantially lower, but Sicily was still separated by narrow but navigable straits — a reality that suggests early humans may have developed rudimentary boating skills to reach the island.
“This implies a much earlier onset of sea travel in human history,” one archaeologist said. “The implications go beyond Sicily — it reshapes how we understand human migration across the Mediterranean basin.”
Implications for Human Dispersal in Europe
This revelation adds to a growing body of research suggesting prehistoric humans were more mobile and technologically advanced than long assumed. Similar discoveries in the Aegean and Adriatic regions are beginning to support a more complex view of early human migration through southern Europe.
San Teodoro’s updated timeline also has ripple effects for interpreting genetic data from early European populations, especially as DNA from previous burials at the site has already been used to reconstruct ancient lineages in Western Europe.
The study underscores the value of revisiting previously excavated sites using modern tools — and affirms Graziosi’s foresight in considering untapped archaeological potential below the cave’s more visible layers.
