A team of marine archaeologists has successfully mapped the "Obsidian and Hematite" Seaway, a 7,000-year-old maritime trade route connecting the central Mediterranean to the African coast. The research indicates that Neolithic merchants regularly crossed open waters to exchange volcanic glass from the Lipari Islands for iron-rich hematite from North Africa.
Chemical analysis of submerged cargo fragments suggests a highly sophisticated naval network far earlier than previously recorded. This discovery reshapes our understanding of prehistoric economic complexity and seafaring capabilities, proving that early Mediterranean communities were deeply interconnected through long-distance maritime exchange.