Some Baltic Problems. Author(S): CA Nordman Source: the Journal
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Some Baltic Problems. Author(s): C. A. Nordman Source: The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 52 (Jan. - Jun., 1922), pp. 26-43 Published by: Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2843768 Accessed: 31-01-2016 18:21 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Wiley and Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 202.28.191.34 on Sun, 31 Jan 2016 18:21:55 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 26 SOME BALTIC PROBLEMS. By C. A. NORDMAN. THE July-December,1919, numberof this Joturnalcontains an interestingarticle by Mr. Harold Peake on " The Finnic Question and some Baltic Problems.'-' Mr. Peake, startingfrom an anthropologicalpoint of view, thoughemploying also an argumentthat is, in manyrespects, based on archaologicalmaterial, brings forward a theoryconcerning the originof the Scandinavian and Finlandishlpeoples, which in ratherfundamental points differsfrom earlier hypotheses. Perhaps undersuch circumstancesan attemptmay be justifiedto explain some of the problemstouched upon by Mr. Peake in his suggestivearticle, as they are understoodby a northern archlaologist. I am greatlyindebted to the Council of the Royal Anthropological Institute,which has, in the followingpages, given me the opportunityto make such an attempt. I intentionally,however, confine myself to the archaeologicalmaterial ; this restriction,also necessitatedby the brevityof the article,is undoubtedlya drawback, in that it prevents an exhaustive treatmentof the problems under consideration,but the loss is perhapsoutweighed by the factthat one always writes with greateraccuracy on subjects included withinone's own fieldof study. The anthropologicalmaterial, moreover, concerning some ofthe culture-groupsmentioned below, is so scarce that it fails to furnisha sufficientlystrong basis for broad conclusions. Several ofthe centralquestions suggested by the investigationinto the northern Stone Age still await solution. These are especiallythe questionsthat referto the peoples themselves,the peoples who formedthat materialculture with which we have become acquainted througha centuryof study. In many cases we fail to progressbeyond a mere statementof the problemor a formulationof a working hypothesis. Our opinionsare oftencontradictory, the finalsynthesis has not yet been reached. I am anxious, in such cases, to make possible a verificationof nmy own statementsand conclusions through referencesto the literatureat hand. Furthermore,I have endeavouredso to arrangethis paper that the readermay decide instantlywhether the discussionis concernedwith facts and conditionsthat are undeniablytrue, or merelywith debatable assumptionsor moreor less well grounded hypotheses. During these last years Oscar Monteliushas resumedthe study of a subject that has long been of interestto him. He sees in the so-calledalmond-shaped flint 1 In this paper the adjectiveFinlandish refers to the entirepopulation of Finland-both the Swedishand the Finnishelements. The adjectiveFinnish, on the otherhand, has reference to the part of the populationthat belongsto the Finnishrace. This content downloaded from 202.28.191.34 on Sun, 31 Jan 2016 18:21:55 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions C. A. NORDMAN.-SomeBaltic Problems. 27 implements-pointedoval flints,often having finelychipped edges and somewhat resemblingin formcertain ffint blades of the Solutreanperiod-the earliestevidence of a settlementin the Noith,a settlementwhich, broadly speaking, was contemporary with the Solutreanperiod.' Apartfrom the factthat the parallelwith the Solutrean must, in everycase, be chronologicallymisleading, it is doubtfulif one can ascribe to the almond-shapedimplements a very great age. It is possible that some of themreally belong to the earliestNorthern Stone Age, althoughproof of this has not, as yet, been found; on the other hand one can, however,unhesitatingly assign a part of these almond-shapedtools to the end of the Stone Age.2 Accordingly,the chronologicalposition of these implementsis uncertain,and we must seek in anotherdirection if we wishto securea conceptionof-the beginning of the Stone Age in Scandinavia. The material is not plentiful: three picks of reindeer-antler,one piece cut offfrom a reindeer-antler,and an arrow-headof flint, all fromDenmark, both fromthe islands and Jutland.3 The formof the reindeer- antlerpicks points to Germanyas the source of the little-knownculture which the Danish examples illustrate; similarpicks are known in Posen,4 Brandenburg,5in the Rhine region6and in the neighbourhoodof Hamburg.7 The relationwith the French Magdalenianperiod, on the otherhand, is not as yet clear, thoughthere is a possibilitythat both the Germanand the Danish objects were influencedby the West. The connectionwith subsequent periods proves to be equally uncertain,not because the followingages failed to leave remains,but because there are no inter- mediaryforms between the reindeer-antlertools which should be attributedto the commencementof the forestperiod, if not to a still earlier time, and the rich civilizationof the later Ancylus period which is chieflyrepresented by the large findsfrom the bogs of Mullerupand Svaerdborg,both located on Zealand.8 The 1 Oscar Montelius,"De mandelformigaflintverktygens alder," in Antikvarisktidskrift fdr Sverige,vol. xx, 1919; Nils Niklasson,in Korrespondenz-Blattder deutschenGesellschaft fiir Anthropologie,Ethnologie und Urgeschichte,vol. Ii, 1920, pp. 19 sqq.; cf. also The Antiquaries' Journal,vol. i, 1921,pp. 98-104. 2 C. A. Nordman,in FinssktMuseum, 1920-21, pp. 65 sqq. 3 K. Friis Johansen," En Boplads i SvaerdborgMose," in Aarbegerfor nordisk Oldkyndighe4 (cited Aarb0ger),1919, pp. 224, sqq.; id., " Une stationdu plus ancienAge de la pierredans la tourbiWrede Svaerdborg,"in Memoiresde la Socijte des Antiquairesdu Nord (cited Memoires), 1918-19,pp. 347 sqq. 4 L. Koslowski,in Przegladarcheologiczny, vol. i, 1919,p. 90, pL.i, fig.1. 5 R. Stimming," Die Renntierzeitin dermairkischen Havelgegend," in Mannus,vol. viii,1917. 6 C. and E. Rademacher,Neufunde des prdhistorischen Museumrs der Stadt CoIn, 1916, plate iii, fig.36; this specimenseems, however, to be somewhatdubious. 7 G. Schwantes,Aus DeutschlandsUrzeit, 3rd ed., fig.28. 8 G. Sarauw, "En StenaldersBoplads i Maglemoseved Mullerup,"in Aarbeyer,1903; id., "Maglemose,ein steinzeitlicherMorfund im Moor bei Mullerupauf Seeland," in Prdhistorische Zeitschrift,vol. iii, 1911,and vol. vi, 1914; L. Koch, " Nye Bidragtill Mullerupkulturens geologiske Alder,"in Meddelelserfra Dansk GeologiskForening, vol. v, 1916; K. Friis Johansen,op. cit. This content downloaded from 202.28.191.34 on Sun, 31 Jan 2016 18:21:55 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 28 C. A. NORDMAN.-SomeBaltic Problems. formerplace has given the Mullerupcivilization the name by which it is known among the Danish archoeologists. The Mullerupcivilization is a lake civilization: the settlementsare situated on low peninsulasor on islands of ancient lakes whichhave since become bogs; peat layers,varying in thickness,cover the prehistoricsites. By hunting and fishing alone could the Mulleruppeople gain a livelihood. Numerousanimal bones and antiquitiesof bone and horngive evidenceof the kindof game Aought. The animals of the woods and the lakes, but not those of the sea, have lefttheir tribute. The elk and the aurochs,that later disappeared,played a big role in the chase; the dog had, even at that early time, become man's comrade. Amongthe antiquities,objects of bone and hornprevail to an extentunequalled in any later age. Barbed harpoons of bone, probablyfish-spears, were foundin large quantities,and besides bone points with flintbarbs aid plain, smoothbone points were used. A bone tool, sometimescalled a seam-smoother,sometimes a netpin, etc., belongs to the most importanttypes. Big socketedbone celts and bone clubs have been found in limited numbers,as well as fish-hooksand knife- handles. The perforatedaxes were fashioned of stag- or sometimeselk-antler, and were made in differentways, one type being providedwith an edge of flint or horn. Many examplesof these chisel-likehorn edges are known,and comparable to themare a fewhorn celts. Finally,some pick-likeweapons, and also otherforms of implements,were produced, but they may be passed over in this briefsummary. Sometimesthe weapons were ornamented,usually with regulargeometric designs of dots and lines, but in exceptionalcases with animal pictures,etc. Amongthe flintantiquities, the triangular,pygmy flint points, that werefound in greatquantities in the Svaerdborgsettlement, are the most worthyof note. With them belongsa small numberof lancets, and segment-shapedflint points. Flintcores, belonging to a type which later on disappears, are very common,and small flintflakes occur in large numbers.