Dynamic adaptations of the Mesolithic pioneers of Gotland in the Baltic Sea

Mesolithic pioneers reached Gotland around 9200 cal BP and adopted seal-hunting. The subsistence economy was flexible, and the importance of freshwater fish is reflected in the location of settlements and available stable isotope data. Overgrowing lakes provided an important subsistence base, and m...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jan Apel, Jan Storå
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani (Ljubljana University Press, Faculty of Arts) 2020-11-01
Series:Documenta Praehistorica
Subjects:
Online Access:https://revije.ff.uni-lj.si/DocumentaPraehistorica/article/view/9495
Description
Summary:Mesolithic pioneers reached Gotland around 9200 cal BP and adopted seal-hunting. The subsistence economy was flexible, and the importance of freshwater fish is reflected in the location of settlements and available stable isotope data. Overgrowing lakes provided an important subsistence base, and marine resources were mainly related to raw material needs. The narrower breadth of resources is reflected in the osseous production, where implements were made from seal bones. The lithic technology exhibits local adaptations over time – in the form of a simplification of the technology – that we relate to sedentism and increases in risk management and external networks.
ISSN:1408-967X
1854-2492