Melian obsidian and fish bones unearthed at Franchthi cave
confirm the existence of seafaring in the Aegean Sea since the Late
Paleolithic. By the Mesolithic,
an increase in the quantity of obsidian occurs contemporaneously with
the appearance of bones from bluefin tuna weighing up to 200 kg. Even
though direct
archaeological evidence which reflects the type of boats and fishing
practices used to acquire these fish does not exist, evidence in the
form of migration theory
and fish preservation suggests that the Aegean sailors had a
sophisticated technology capable of building planked hulls and
preserving tuna.