View of the Ayvalık region, where the Paleolithic survey was conducted. Credit: Kadriye, Göknur, and HandeWhile it has long been thought that early humans arrived in mainland Europe from Africa via the Middle East and the Balkans, a new study hypothesises that they may have also moved through Ayvalık, Türkiye. The archaeological findings suggest that early hominins may have been able to cross between present-day Europe and Türkiye on continuous landmasses that are now submerged beneath the Aegean Sea. “We are very excited and delighted with this discovery,” says author of the study, Dr Göknur Karahan, from Hacettepe University in Türkiye. “The findings paint a vivid picture of early human adaptation, innovation, and mobility along the Aegean,” says Karahan.