Researchers using advanced underwater submersibles have uncovered evidence of a previously unknown maritime trade link connecting the Gulf of Corinth in Greece to the Balearic Islands. By analyzing deep-sea debris and shipwreck fragments, the team identified Mycenean pottery shards alongside copper ingots and cinnabar pigments, suggesting a long-distance luxury trade route that operated as early as 1500 BCE.
This 'Copper and Cinnabar' Seaway challenges previous theories about the limitations of Bronze Age seafaring. The presence of specialized pigments and industrial-grade metals indicates that ancient merchants were traversing the length of the Mediterranean to supply elite artisans with materials for frescoes and bronze-making, highlighting a high degree of economic interdependency across the basin.