Ancient Scandinavians likely used animal skin boats to hunt and trade, study finds

Ancient people were one of Scandinavia’s first seafaring societies, study says

Vishwam Sankaran
Friday 20 September 2024 07:05 BST

Scandinavians may have used boats made of animal skin for hunting and trading about 5,000 years ago, according to a study that sheds more light on Europe’s “marine-specialised” early culture.

The Pitted Ware Culture (PWC), named after their characteristic pottery with deep pits, migrated from the East and settled in modern-day Scandinavia, including parts of Sweden, Denmark, and Finland between 3500 BC and 2300 BC.

This “marine-specialised” group, according to researchers, stood out among early European Stone Age societies as it continued to focus on seal hunting and fishing at a time when farming had already been in practice on the continent for over five centuries.

This “marine-specialised” group, according to researchers, stood out among early European Stone Age societies as it continued to focus on seal hunting and fishing at a time when farming had already been in practice on the continent for over five centuries.

They have also been known to ferry long-distance voyages across the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat and Skagerrak Strait.

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Norway’s Barents Sea (Tuuli Parviainen)

More:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/scandinavians-hunting-ancient-animal-skin-boat-b2616016.html