Sicily and Malta were once connected by a 90 km land bridge

Researchers participating in the Bridges project have mapped a prehistoric 90-kilometer land bridge that once connected Sicily to Malta and Gozo. During the last ice age, approximately 13,000 years ago, sea levels were roughly 130 meters lower than they are today, allowing for a terrestrial corridor between the islands.

Using high-resolution geophysical data and seismic profiling from the research vessel Gaia Blu, scientists from the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) identified a complex underwater landscape. This terrain features ridges, basins, and lagoons similar to modern tropical platforms.

While the geological existence of this land bridge is supported by the data, the archaeological implications remain under investigation. Researchers are working to determine if hunter-gatherer groups or prehistoric animals utilized this route, though definitive human traces in the region date back only to about 8,900 years ago.