Croatian archaeologists have discovered remnants of a road nearly 7,000 years old under the sea at the southern island of Korcula, the University of Zadar said on Sunday.

A road that once connected a submerged prehistoric settlement with the island of Korcula was discovered under silt deposits. It was four metres wide and consisted of carefully laid stone slabs that connected the artificially created island to the shore.

Radiocarbon analysis of a piece of wood dated the settlement to about 4,900 years BC.

At the same time, a similar settlement was discovered at the other end of Korcula island at a depth of four to five metres. Neolithic artefacts were found there, including flint blades, stone axes and grindstone fragments.

The research was led by Assistant Professor Mate Parica from the Department of Archaeology at the University of Zadar.