The Early Mesolithic fisheries of southern Scandinavia

TY - CHAP

T1 - The Early Mesolithic fisheries of southern Scandinavia

AU - Robson, Harry Kenneth

AU - Ritchie, Kenneth

PY - 2019/4/25

Y1 - 2019/4/25

N2 - Southern Scandinavian Mesolithic research has one of the longest traditions within archaeology, dating back to the 1820s and 1830s. However, a combination of site visibility and an emphasis on the MesolithicNeolithic transition has meant that research has primarily been directed towards the Late Mesolithic Ertebølle culture (c. 5400–4000 cal. BC) at the expense of the Early Mesolithic Maglemose culture (c. 9600–6400 cal. BC). Whilst fishing during the Ertebølle culture is well studied (Enghoff 2011; Ritchie 2010), fishing during the Early Mesolithic is rarely discussed in any detail. In this contribution we attempt to rectify this imbalance by collating all readily available data on fish remains and related technologies within the literature. Although our primary focus is the Early Mesolithic Maglemose culture of Southern Scandinavia, an area encompassing Denmark, Scania in Sweden and Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany, we draw oncontemporaneous sites within the broader region to provide a more nuanced picture of the exploitation of this important resource, fish.

AB - Southern Scandinavian Mesolithic research has one of the longest traditions within archaeology, dating back to the 1820s and 1830s. However, a combination of site visibility and an emphasis on the MesolithicNeolithic transition has meant that research has primarily been directed towards the Late Mesolithic Ertebølle culture (c. 5400–4000 cal. BC) at the expense of the Early Mesolithic Maglemose culture (c. 9600–6400 cal. BC). Whilst fishing during the Ertebølle culture is well studied (Enghoff 2011; Ritchie 2010), fishing during the Early Mesolithic is rarely discussed in any detail. In this contribution we attempt to rectify this imbalance by collating all readily available data on fish remains and related technologies within the literature. Although our primary focus is the Early Mesolithic Maglemose culture of Southern Scandinavia, an area encompassing Denmark, Scania in Sweden and Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany, we draw oncontemporaneous sites within the broader region to provide a more nuanced picture of the exploitation of this important resource, fish.

M3 - Chapter

VL - 10

BT - Working at the sharp end at Hohen Viecheln: from bone and antler to Early Mesolithic life in Northern Europe

PB - Wahholtz

CY - Hamburg

ER -