A solar flare in 5259 BCE solves the Dispilio riddle

Dispilio by Kastoria Lake is Greece’s first systematically excavated wetland site. It contains waterlogged wooden piles, C14 dated to the 6th millennium BCE at a density of almost 1000 piles per 500 square metres. The extreme density makes it impossible to distinguish between distinct house plans. The apparent lack of dwellings posed an unanswered enigma for Dispilio and influenced the site’s subsequent interpretation as a site built on platforms over water.