DNA analysis has revealed that Stone Age people from North Africa descended partly from European hunter-gatherers. This shows that early people not only came out of Africa but, much later, some returned to it by boat across the Mediterranean.
Researchers analyzed the genomes of nine individuals from archaeological sites in present-day Tunisia and Algeria, all dating from 6,000 to over 10,000 years old. The remains showed genetic markers that linked them to Europeans.
One individual from Djebba, Tunisia, had approximately 6% of his DNA traced back to European forebears. The intermingling took place around 8,500 years ago. A woman from the same site showed similar European genetics.
It is difficult to determine exactly where European ancestry comes from. It could have come from Sicily or a small island called Pantelleria between Sicily and Africa.
Island hopping
It seems unlikely that prehistoric humans crossed the Mediterranean in a single journey. Instead, the new study suggests that they island-hopped across the Sicilian Strait. Proving this theory will, however, be difficult. Many of the islands that could have acted as natural stopping points are now completely submerged, alongside any archaeological evidence they might have held.
The archaeological site at Doukanet el Khoutifa, Tunisia, in the eastern Maghreb region. Photo: Giulio Lucarini
No boats from this period have ever been found in North Africa, but dugout canoes of that age have turned up in Bracciano Lake, Italy. This proves that ancient Mediterranean populations were capable of creating seafaring vessels that could have made the journey.
