Archaeologists discovered the oldest settlement on stilts in Europe (photo)

Scientists have discovered one of the oldest settled communities in Europe under the turquoise waters of Lake Ohrid in Albania. Researchers are trying to solve the mystery of why it was hiding behind the fortress of defensive spiers.

Archaeologists believe that there was once a settlement on stilts on the Albanian shore of the lake about 8,000 years ago. This makes it the oldest lakeside village in Europe discovered to date, AFP reports.

At the same time, radiocarbon research shows the site is about 6000 and 5800 BC. The other villages have been earlier discovered in the Italian Alps dating from around 5000 BC.

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"This is several hundreds of years older than previously known lake habitats in the Mediterranean and Alpine regions," said Albert Hafner, a professor of archeology at the University of Bern in Switzerland.

The settlement is believed to have housed between 200 and 500 people, with houses built on stilts above the surface of the lake or in areas regularly inundated by rising water. During a recent dive, archaeologists found evidence that the settlement was fortified with thousands of spiked boards that were used as defensive barricades.

Researchers estimate that approximately 100,000 spikes were driven into the lake bed near Lin.

Earlier scientists revealed the real cause of the death of Prince Edward or the Black Prince.

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