Oceanographers and archaeologists have published a joint study utilizing Thorium-230/Uranium dating on carbonate crusts from submerged terraces in the Persian Gulf. The research identifies a stable, habitable coastline that existed at a depth of 60 meters between 11,500 and 9,000 years ago, providing a precise timeline for the maritime dispersal of early agricultural groups into the Arabian Peninsula.
The dating results indicate that these submerged landscapes were inundated during a rapid sea-level rise event approximately 8,200 years ago. The discovery of lithic tool scatters on these terraces confirms that these now-underwater regions were key transit corridors for Neolithic populations, challenging the terrestrial-only models of human expansion in the Middle East.