According to their study published on September 18 in the Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, early humans also crossed a now submerged land route that once linked Turkey to Europe. The Aegean coast of Ayvalık in Turkey is composed of numerous islands and peninsulas today, but the region looked quite different 2.58 million—11,700 years ago during the Pleistocene Ice Age. The landmass was exposed as sea levels dropped by as much as 330 feet during the Ice Age. Credit: Göknur, Kadriye, and HandeMost Pleistocene migratory investigations remain focused on regions far removed from the Aegean coast. “The results confirmed that Ayvalık–which had never before been studied for its Paleolithic potential–holds vital traces of early human activity,” said Karahan.