Kullaberg and the Dawn of Maritime Lifeways: Tracing the Northern Pioneers
The postglacial colonisation of Scandinavia is one of the most significant themes in Nordic Prehistory. Early human pioneers followed maritime migration corridors northwards from the European Plain into pristine environments, adapting to new landscapes and learning to coexist with novel marine and terrestrial ecosystems. But how did these groups transition from terrestrial hunting to the coastal foraging strategies that enabled their northward expansion?
The Swedish West Coast is critical for addressing this question, and Kullaberg stands out as an ideal location for advances, as it was the first area in Fennoscandia to emerge from the retreating ice sheet and has been used by maritime societies throughout the Holocene.
This project will provide answers to:
1: When and how humans first settled at Kullaberg, and how this relates to the northward expansion along coastal migration routes?
2: What survival strategies supported forager societies at Kullaberg, and how a maritime adaptation is reflected in the material culture?
3: How early coastal lifeways evolved and adapted in response to cultural, climatic, and environmental changes?
By integrating archaeology with palaeogenetics, paleoecology, and geology, this project generates insights into the chronological and cultural development of Kullaberg. This will form the foundation for a wave of multidisciplinary research addressing the origins and resilience of early coastal societies in Fennoscandia and the human ability to adapt.
The Swedish West Coast is critical for addressing this question, and Kullaberg stands out as an ideal location for advances, as it was the first area in Fennoscandia to emerge from the retreating ice sheet and has been used by maritime societies throughout the Holocene.
This project will provide answers to:
1: When and how humans first settled at Kullaberg, and how this relates to the northward expansion along coastal migration routes?
2: What survival strategies supported forager societies at Kullaberg, and how a maritime adaptation is reflected in the material culture?
3: How early coastal lifeways evolved and adapted in response to cultural, climatic, and environmental changes?
By integrating archaeology with palaeogenetics, paleoecology, and geology, this project generates insights into the chronological and cultural development of Kullaberg. This will form the foundation for a wave of multidisciplinary research addressing the origins and resilience of early coastal societies in Fennoscandia and the human ability to adapt.