Hidden City Built 140,000 Years Ago Discovered at Bottom of Ocean  

The fossils were discovered by maritime sand miners in 2011. (Getty) 
The fossils were discovered by maritime sand miners in 2011. (Getty) 
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Hidden City Built 140,000 Years Ago Discovered at Bottom of Ocean  

The fossils were discovered by maritime sand miners in 2011. (Getty) 
The fossils were discovered by maritime sand miners in 2011. (Getty) 

Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in Indonesia that could rewrite the story of human origins.

They found the skull of Homo erectus, an ancient human ancestor, over 140,000 years after it was first buried, preserved beneath layers of silt and sand in the Madura Strait between the islands of Java and Madura, according to the Daily Mail.

Experts say the site may be the first physical evidence of the lost world, a prehistoric landmass known as Sundaland that once connected Southeast Asia in a vast tropical plain.

Alongside the skull bones, researchers recovered 6,000 of animal fossils of 36 species including those of Komodo dragons, buffalos, deer, and elephant.

Some of these had deliberate cut marks which is proof that early humans were practicing advanced hunting strategies.

These findings provide rare insight into ancient human life and the now-lost lands of Sundaland, offering a glimpse into the behaviors and adaptations of early human populations in response to environmental changes.

The fossils were discovered by maritime sand miners in 2011, but experts just recently established their age and species, marking an important milestone in paleoanthropology.

“This period is characterized by great morphological diversity and mobility of hominin populations in the region," said Harold Berghuis, an archaeologist at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands who led the investigation.

Between 14,000 and 7,000 years ago, melting glaciers caused sea levels to rise more than 120 meters, submerging the low-lying plains of Sundaland.

The discovery began during marine sand mining in the Madura Strait, where dredging brought up fossilized remains.



Saudipedia, Saudia Airlines Partner to Showcase Kingdom's Culture

The agreement was signed by Saudipedia CEO Khaled Qattan and Saudia Vice President of Marketing Essam Akhonbay in Jeddah. (SPA)
The agreement was signed by Saudipedia CEO Khaled Qattan and Saudia Vice President of Marketing Essam Akhonbay in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudipedia, Saudia Airlines Partner to Showcase Kingdom's Culture

The agreement was signed by Saudipedia CEO Khaled Qattan and Saudia Vice President of Marketing Essam Akhonbay in Jeddah. (SPA)
The agreement was signed by Saudipedia CEO Khaled Qattan and Saudia Vice President of Marketing Essam Akhonbay in Jeddah. (SPA)

Saudipedia, a Ministry of Media initiative, and Saudia Airlines signed a cooperation agreement on Wednesday to promote and exchange national content, bolster the Kingdom’s cultural identity, and enrich the traveler experience on Saudia Airlines flights.

The agreement, signed by Saudipedia CEO Khaled Qattan and Saudia Vice President of Marketing Essam Akhonbay in Jeddah, covers various areas of cooperation, including boosting marketing strategies and exploring mutual interests.

The partnership underscores both organizations' dedication to advancing Saudi Arabia's cultural and knowledge products.

A key aspect of the agreement is the display of diverse Saudipedia content — visual, audio, and written — through Saudia Airlines' in-flight entertainment system, ensuring that travelers, both domestic and international, have access to reliable information about the Kingdom.

The Saudipedia initiative is part of the Human Capability Development Program under Vision 2030. Its goal is to provide comprehensive encyclopedic content reflecting Saudi Arabia's cultural, social, economic, political, geographical, and historical realities, establishing it as a definitive source of knowledge for regional, Arab, and international media and knowledge platforms covering Saudi affairs.