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The Transition from Kongemose to Ertebølle: A Mesolithic Shift in Northern Europe (c. 5300 BCE)
Content:
Around 5300 BCE, a significant cultural transition occurred in prehistoric Northern Europe as the Kongemose culture (c. 6000-5200 BCE) gave way to the Ertebølle culture (c. 5300-3950 BCE). This shift marked an important phase in the Mesolithic period, reflecting changes in subsistence strategies, tool technologies, and social organization among hunter-gatherer communities in what is now Denmark, southern Sweden, and northern Germany.
The Kongemose people were coastal and inland hunter-gatherers who relied on a combination of fishing, hunting (especially red deer, wild boar, and aurochs), and gathering. They produced flint tools, including transverse arrowheads and microliths, and lived in seasonal settlements. Their material culture suggests a well-adapted but relatively localized way of life.
The transition to the Ertebølle culture (also called the "Kitchen Midden" culture due to their large shell middens) was not abrupt but rather a gradual evolution influenced by environmental and social factors:
Maritime Adaptation - The Ertebølle people intensified their reliance on marine resources, particularly shellfish, seals, and fish, as evidenced by massive middens of oyster and mussel shells. This shift may have been driven by rising sea levels (post-glacial Littorina Sea transgression) and the stabilization of coastlines.
Technological Innovations - The Ertebølle introduced new tool types, including blunted-back flint points and pottery (some of the earliest in Northern Europe, possibly influenced by contact with Neolithic farmers further south). Their dugout canoes and fishing equipment (such as nets and leister spears) indicate advanced maritime skills.
Settlement Patterns - Unlike the Kongemose, who moved seasonally between inland and coastal sites, the Ertebølle people established more permanent coastal settlements, suggesting a more sedentary lifestyle tied to rich marine resources.
Interaction with Neolithic Farmers - While still hunter-gatherers, the Ertebølle culture likely had contact with early Linear Pottery (LBK) farmers to the south, exchanging goods (such as flint axes for pottery) but resisting full-scale agriculture until the arrival of the Funnelbeaker culture (c. 4000 BCE).
The shift from Kongemose to Ertebølle was likely driven by:
- Climatic changes affecting resource availability.
- Population pressures leading to more intensive exploitation of marine foods.
- Cultural diffusion from neighboring groups.
The Ertebølle culture represents the last major Mesolithic society in Scandinavia before the Neolithic revolution. Their adaptation to coastal environments set the stage for later agricultural communities in the region.
Limitations of Knowledge:
Archaeological evidence for this transition is fragmentary, and precise dating remains debated. The exact nature of cultural continuity or replacement between Kongemose and Ertebølle groups is still under study.
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