Early Economy and Settlement in Northern Europe

This volume explores economy and settlement of the early post-glacial pioneers of Northern Europe. The articles present overviews and case studies from the Early and Middle Mesolithic of Northern Scandinavia in their wider northern European setting. Given the large geographical and climatic variation – ranging from the temperate over the subarctic to the arctic zones – and rapid and large-scale, early post-glacial changes in topography and ecology across the area, a regional approach is necessary. Special emphasis is placed on how the early pioneer hunter-fisher-gatherers “mapped onto the landscape” – organized their economy and settlement – in order to provide for a broader and deeper understanding of the “big issues” such as why, from where, and how they came into different parts of Northern Scandinavia and in particular how the maritime component of the economy and settlement emerged.

This volume explores economy and settlement of the early post-glacial pioneers of Northern Europe. The articles present overviews and case studies from the Early and Middle Mesolithic of Northern Scandinavia in their wider northern European setting. Given the large geographical and climatic variation – ranging from the temperate over the subarctic to the arctic zones – and rapid and large-scale, early post-glacial changes in topography and ecology across the area, a regional approach is necessary. Special emphasis is placed on how the early pioneer hunter-fisher-gatherers “mapped onto the landscape” – organized their economy and settlement – in order to provide for a broader and deeper understanding of the “big issues” such as why, from where, and how they came into different parts of Northern Scandinavia and in particular how the maritime component of the economy and settlement emerged. Another issue of particular, contemporary human interest is addressed through studies of how the early pioneers coped with rapid and large-scale climatic changes and their impact on living conditions. In addition new methodologies of particular relevance are presented. Based on new analyses and field-work this book brings fresh perspectives and insights to all these important aspects of our early post-glacial past.

1. The Early Settlement of Northern Europe - Economy and Settlement: New Investigations Hans Peter Blankholm 2. The Pioneer Colonisation of Northern Norway Jan Ingolf Kleppe, Finnmark County Authority, Vadso, Norway 3. Tent, Hut or House? A Discussion on Early Mesolithic Dwellings Proceeding from the Site Mohalsen 2012-II, Vega, Northern Norway Silje E. Fretheim, NTNU University Museum, Hein B. Bjerck, NTNU University Museum, Heidi Mjelva Breivik, NTNU University Museum, and Francisco J. Zangrando, CADIC-CONICET, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina 4. Large Mesolithic House - Pits at Tonsnes, Coastal Northern Norway: Evidence of a Winter Aggregation Site? Jan Magne Gjerde, University of Oslo, and Marianne Skandfer, Tromso Museum - The University Museum, UIT - The Arctic University of Norway 5. Macro-level Predictive Modelling of Early Stone Age Pioneer Settlement Locations in Varanger, Northern Norway. Hans Peter Blankholm 6. Aareavaara and the Pioneer Period in Northern Sweden. Olof Ostlund, Norrbotten County Museum, Sweden 7. From Russia, with Love - Eastern Intruders in the North Norwegian Mesolithic Tuija Rankama and Jarmo Kankaanpaa, both at University of Helsinki 8. Early Mesolithic Central Norway: A Review of Research History, Settlements, and Tool Tradition Heidi Mjelva Breivik and Hein B. Bjerck 9. The Early Mesolithic of Western Norway Leif Inge Astveit, University Museum of Bergen 10. The First One Thousand Years - Human Colonization and Differentiated Landscape Use in Southwestern Norway 10,000 to 9000 Years BP Sveinung Bang-Andersen, Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger 11. The Pioneer Settlement of Southwestern Norway: A Case Study Sigrid AlrAek Dugstad, Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger 12. The Pioneer Settlement of Eastern Norway Hege Damlien, Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger, and Steinar Solheim, Museum of Cultural History University of Oslo 13. Pauler 2 - An Ordinary Early Mesolithic Site from South-eastern Norway? Astrid J Nyland

• Edited by Hans Peter Blankholm

"Volume 3 is extremely well written and edited. The inclusion of radiocarbon results in eight contributions is extremely useful for the wider scientific community . . . Blankholm has done a tremendous job bringing these diverse and interesting articles together, all of which for the most part present new data." --Robson, H. (2019). The early settlement of Northern Europe. Antiquity, 93, (367), 260-263. doi:10.15184/aqy.2018.264
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