The First Maritime Routes in the Mediterranean

The Mesolithic people were the first to begin crossing open stretches of water to explore islands. They were primarily looking for new hunting grounds. On rare occasions they found obsidian that would have been highly valued in exchange networks back on the mainland. By the time of the Neolithic expansion, the various maritime routes were well known. Knowledge of those sea ways played an important role in the rapid spread of agricultural practices, particularly in the western Mediterranean. This project looks at the evidence of those earliest voyages.