Museum Lolland-Falster uncovered a wealth of prehistoric fishing techniques during excavations for the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Denmark and Germany (2012-2022). In the water-saturated Syltholm Fjord east of Rødbyhavn, they found remarkably well-preserved fishing fences, wicker mats and wooden poles – evidence of stationary fishing facilities used from the Mesolithic (Old Stone Age) to the Bronze Age (4700-900 BC).
Researchers from Museum Lolland-Falster, together with archaeologists from other Danish museums, have collected data from all over Denmark, creating the most comprehensive dataset of its kind. By comparing similar finds across the country and using radiocarbon dating, they reconstructed how fishing adapted over thousands of years, even as cultures and livelihoods changed.
Their findings challenge the idea that agriculture quickly replaced fishing in Northern Europe, and show a more complex and varied transition to new ways of living.
The article is written by:
Koivisto, S., Robson, HK, Philippsen, B., Stafseth, T., Brinch, M., Schmölcke, U., Astrup, PM, Casati, C., Henriksen, MB, Uldum, O., Lundbye, M., Maring, R., Kanstrup, M., Måge, BT, Groß, D., 2024. Fishing with stationary wooden structures in Stone Age Denmark: new evidence from Syltholm Fjord, southern Lolland. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society.
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