Mysterious relics discovered on the seafloor could lead to a landmark discovery

Experts have discovered bizarre relics at the bottom of the ocean, believed to be carved from volcanic glass.

Off the coast in Italy, the mysterious artefacts were found and are estimated to date back to the Stone Age around 5,000 to 8,000 years ago.

Naples police department and marine archaeologists joined forces last month to retrieve the objects.

One was said to resemble an object made from black volcanic glass, weighing 8 kilograms and 11 x 8 x 6 inches in size.

The team said the markings in the objects appeared as though they were created by human hands.

They have since theorised the objects got there after being transported by a Neolithic-era ship, according to IFL Science.

They hope to find the ancient shipwreck in the future.

"The remains of a Neolithic hull in Mediterranean waters have never been found to date. There are cases of Neolithic boats found on the European mainland or in freshwater, lakes, and rivers.

"But the Mediterranean Sea has a pleasant temperature and salinity for the wood-eating mollusk, Teredo navalis. Thus, wooden ships of all ages, when they sink in the Mediterranean, are prey for these mollusks," Sandro Barucci, a researcher who specialises in ancient seafaring, told Newsweek.

"At Capri, if the boat had sunk quickly into the sand and remained protected, it would perhaps be possible to find some wooden parts, especially if it were a dugout canoe – i.e. made from a single large hollowed-out tree trunk. But it would truly be a very rare event, indeed unique," he added.

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