This article was downloaded by: [University of Oslo] On: 21 June 2013, At: 04:40 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Norwegian Archaeological Review Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/sarc20 Where are the Missing Boats? The Pioneer Settlement of Norway as Long-Term History Håkon Glørstad a a Museum of Cultural History , University of Oslo , Oslo , Norway Published online: 28 Apr 2013. To cite this article: Håkon Glørstad (2013): Where are the Missing Boats? The Pioneer Settlement of Norway as Long-Term History, Norwegian Archaeological Review, 46:1, 57-80 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00293652.2013.777095 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and- conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Norwegian Archaeological Review, 2013 DISCUSSION Vol. 46, No. 1, 57–120 Where are the Missing Boats? The Pioneer Settlement of Norway as Long-Term History HÅKON GLØRSTAD During the last ten years there has been a growing interest in understanding the earliest settlement of northern Europe. In Norway, specialized marine adaptation and high mobility based on traffic with seafaring skin boats are key elements in a new synthesis of the colonization process. This article addresses the process of colonization from a perspective of long-term history, analysing the record in an archaeological retrospective perspective. Such an analysis is intended to challenge and discuss some of the presumptions giving an implicit framework to the current state of knowledge. The main argument is that the long-term structures of Mesolithic settlement and subsistence in Norway are key for understanding the colonization of this landscape. Key elements in such a discussion are the nature of the early Mesolithic transport and communication systems. It is reasonable to question the range of mobility and the seagoing quality of the vessels. The sites preserved show traces of boat production that resembles the rest of the Mesolithic. This touches upon a more fundamental question concerning the status of the archaeological record as source material for understanding human societies and history. Keywords: Stone Age; settlement; Mesolithic; experimental archaeology; environment; anthropology In the night, a man was examining the ground under high-quality datasets from development-led a lamppost. A woman passing asked if he had lost excavations in Norway (e.g. Damm et al. ‘ ’ ‘ something. Yes , the man replied, I lost my car 1993, Høgestøl et al. 1995, Bang-Andersen keys.’‘Did you lose them here?’ the woman asked. Downloaded by [University of Oslo] at 04:40 21 June 2013 2000, Nærøy 2000, Blankholm 2004, Bjerck ‘No’, said the man, ‘but this was the only place light enough for examination.’ et al. 2008, Hesjedal et al. 2009, Fuglestvedt 2010, Jaksland in press) and specific research excavations in the Nordic countries (overview INTRODUCTION in Bergmann et al. 2004, Kankaanpää and During the last ten years there has been a Rankama 2009, Pedersen 2009, Petersen growing interest in understanding the earliest 2009, Rankama 2011). Thought-provoking settlement of northern Europe (overview in models for understanding the colonization Bailey and Spikins 2008). This interest is process have recently been presented as a partially triggered by a considerable rise in synthesis of the last 30 years of research Håkon Glørstad, Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. E-mail: [email protected] Note: This discussion originally went online with some uncorrected portions in the comments section. These sections have now been revised. For more details, see Erratum http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00293652.2013.808505 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00293652.2013.777095 © 2013 Norwegian Archaeological Review 58 Håkon Glørstad et al. (Bjerck 2008a, 2008b, 2009). In Norway, spe- is, the first centuries of the Holocene, but very cialized marine adaptation and high mobility probably after the cold Preboreal Oscillation based on traffic with seafaring skin boats, simi- (PBO) (9400 cal. BC, Björk et al. 1997, Bos lar to the Inuit’s umiak (Bjerck 2008b, Bang- et al. 2007). A few Preboreal sites are found Andersen 2012, Fuglestvedt 2012) are key ele- in the mountain areas in Trollheimen and in ments in the new synthesis of the colonization Rogaland (Gustafson 1988, Bang-Andersen process. This process started at the end of the 2003, Svendsen 2007), but the majority of Pleistocene, in a landscape still marked by a sites are situated close to the ancient shore- harsh arctic environment. The Palaeolithic lines. Thus the whole process of colonization setting of Continental Europe is the backdrop could be interpreted as the commencement of to this scene. a highly coastal or maritime culture in this This article addresses the process of coloni- part of the world (Bjerck 2009). Of course, zation from a long-term history perspective, this marks a strong contrast to the archaeolo- analysing the record in an archaeological ret- gical record on the Continent, where all the rospective perspective. Such an analysis is old shorelines have disappeared due to a mas- intended to challenge and discuss some of the sive sea-level rise after the Ice Age (discussion presumptions giving an implicit framework to in Bailey 2004, Flemming 2004, Bailey and the current state of knowledge. The main Flemming 2008). There is still an open ques- argument is that the long-term structures of tion as to whether the rising sea submerged Mesolithic settlement and subsistence in equally old and prosperous marine econo- Norway are central for understanding the mies, as found in Norway, or if the patterns colonization of this landscape. In this perspec- found north of the Skagerrak mark the very tive some small but important adjustments beginning of such a life-form in Europe. Most can be made to the current model. Key ele- of the continental evidence points towards a ments in such a discussion are the nature of the terrestrial economy, yet there are sources that early Mesolithic transport and communication could indicate that the highly marine-oriented systems. It is reasonable to question the range life found throughout the Norwegian Stone of mobility and the seagoing quality of the Age could be traced back in time to the vessels. I think the sites preserved show traces Continent (Schmitt 1995, Cleyet-Merle and of boat production that resembles the rest of Madelaine 1995, Fischer 1996, 2005, Bailey the Mesolithic. The whole period can there- and Milner 2002, Schmitt et al. 2006, 2009, fore be characterized by small-scale move- Cziesla 2007, see also Kindgren 1995, ments by boats with modest seagoing Kabacinski and Sobkowiak-Tabaka 2009 for abilities. This touches upon a more fundamen- lacustrine evidence). Downloaded by [University of Oslo] at 04:40 21 June 2013 tal question concerning the status of the The most popular and intuitive explanation archaeological record as source material for for the Norwegian data is that by the end of the understanding human societies and history. glacial period humans had invented or made effective use of a marine technology – boats and fully marine subsistence – enabling them RESEARCH STATUS IN NORWEGIAN to travel fast along the coast, exploiting the PIONEER SETTLEMENT RESEARCH rich ecosystems that were made available to According to the current state of knowledge them because of an improved climatic situation there is no evidence for human occupation of after the Ice Age (Bjerck 1994, 1995, Bang- the present Norwegian mainland before the Andersen 2003, 2012). Hence, marine mobility Preboreal period of the Holocene (9700 cal. and coastal life are key terms in understanding 14 BC). The oldest reliable C datings cover the the colonization of Norway (Fig. 2). The rapid period 9300–8300 cal. BC (the Fosna/Komsa and uniform colonization of the Norwegian complex, Fig. 1, Bjerck 1994, 2008a, 2008b, coast stands apparently in sharp contrast to the Bang-Andersen 2003, Blankholm 2004), that rest of the Mesolithic period, because the Where are the Missing Boats? 59 Downloaded by [University of Oslo] at 04:40 21 June 2013 Fig. 1. Sum of Preboreal 14C-datings from Norwegian Stone Age sites (Fosna/Komsa). Map from http:// www.sgu.se/sgu/sv/geologi/geologi_sverige/jord/strand_intro.htm (Påsse and Andersson 2005) and 14C-datings from Bang-Andersen 1990, 2005, Bjerck 1994, Bjerck et al. 2008, Hesjedal et al. 1993, Olsen 1992, p. 89, Sandmo 1986, pp. 117–118, Svendsen 2007. A dating to 9900-9200 cal. BC (9940 ± 101 BP) from Varanger, Finnmark (Grydeland 2003) is not included because it probably dates driftwood and not the human activity at the site (cp. Bang-Andersen 2012). 60 Håkon Glørstad et al. Fig. 2. Umiaks and kayaks moving along the coast of western Greenland. Such images are often evoked when discussing the colonization of the Norwegian coast after the Ice Age. Source: Nansen (1891, p. 277). trajectory throughout the rest of this period presume that most of the full social reality seems to be one of increased regionalization that we intend to reconstruct is lost.