Hidden world beneath the Persian Gulf? Scientists say a lost freshwater oasis may have sheltered early humans

What is now the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf may once have been a vast green landscape filled with rivers, freshwater springs and fertile land that supported early human communities, according to a study.

The study suggests that during the last Ice Age, when sea levels were much lower, the Gulf basin was exposed as dry land. Instead of being a barren desert, underground aquifers may have fed natural freshwater springs, creating a habitable refuge for humans migrating out of Africa.

A green landscape beneath today's sea

The preliminary study, titled Groundwater discharge potential on the exposed Persian Gulf shelf through the last glacial cycle, used hydrogeological modelling and ancient sea-level reconstructions to examine how groundwater may have behaved thousands of years ago.


Researchers found a high potential for freshwater to emerge across the exposed Gulf shelf through natural springs. This could have sustained plants, wildlife and human populations even as much of the surrounding Arabian Peninsula became increasingly dry.

The findings support the possibility that the Persian Gulf basin acted as a long-term refuge for early modern humans during periods of extreme climate change.

A new clue to human migration

The research adds another perspective to theories about how humans spread from Africa into Eurasia.

Rather than crossing an entirely hostile desert, early humans may have travelled through a landscape with reliable freshwater sources and fertile river systems. Such an environment could have supported settlements for thousands of years before the region disappeared beneath rising seas.

The researchers suggest that this hidden landscape may help explain archaeological evidence of ancient human communities found along the modern Gulf coastline.

What happened to the lost oasis?

As the Ice Age ended, melting glaciers caused global sea levels to rise. Water from the Arabian Sea gradually entered the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, slowly flooding the low-lying basin.

According to the study, this inundation would have submerged freshwater springs and fertile valleys, forcing people living there to move towards higher coastal areas across the Middle East.

The researchers propose that these migrations may have contributed to cultural and population changes seen in the archaeological record.

Why proving the theory is difficult

Because the suspected landscape now lies beneath the Persian Gulf, scientists cannot investigate it using conventional archaeological excavations.

Instead, future research will rely on underwater sediment cores, seismic surveys and advanced groundwater modelling to identify where ancient freshwater springs once existed and where early human settlements may have been located.

The study is currently available as a preliminary research preprint, meaning its findings have not yet undergone peer review. While the results offer an intriguing explanation for how early humans may have survived in the region, further research will be needed to confirm the hypothesis.