In a recent article by forskning.no, researchers have unearthed what could be one of the oldest pieces of evidence of whaling—5,000-year-old harpoons and whale bones found off the coast of Brazil. Yet, as Svein Vatsvåg Nielsen, the first conservator at the Stavanger Maritime Museum, points out, there are traces of whaling in Scandinavia that are similarly ancient.
Nielsen and his colleagues have conducted archaeological investigations at Jortveit farm in Grimstad, revealing evidence of whale and tuna captures dating back to between 3,500 and 2,500 BC. This discovery is part of a broader narrative about how ancient Norwegians engaged with the sea to sustain their communities.
More Than Just Big Game
– For a long time, it was assumed that hunters and gatherers primarily focused on big game, says Nielsen. This belief stemmed from studies of modern hunter-gatherer societies, which, due to various pressures, had retreated to marginal areas.
However, following the last Ice Age, a burgeoning population began to adapt to coastal living, with fish emerging as a crucial food source.
– We now know that large populations of hunter-gatherers usually adapted to marine resources, while the pursuit of large game characterizes much smaller groups.
Settlements by the Sea
Following the last Ice Age, hunters and gatherers began to expand their territories, including throughout Europe. According to Nielsen, the oldest Stone Age settlements in Norway, dating back around 11,500 years, have been discovered in the Oslofjord area.
– These early inhabitants hunted large game as they followed animal migrations in the wake of the melting glaciers. This behavior is evident in Western Norway, where some of the oldest dating rings are found in the Ryfylket mountain area.
– People navigated the lakes in boats while primarily pursuing big game, a custom inherited from Northern European cultures at the end of the Ice Age.
As time progressed, newcomers from the east also relied on large game for sustenance. However, around 8,000 BC, evidence suggests groups began settling down and increasingly relied on marine resources while still hunting terrestrial animals.
– Excavations have uncovered numerous fish bones in settlements with excellent preservation conditions, along with small harpoons and fish hooks.
In Norway, fishing was accomplished using various techniques including lines, hooks, and fishing sinkers.
Piles of Oysters
The recent findings in Brazil showed whale bones nestled within man-made piles of shells and fish bones, known as sambaquies. A similar phenomenon exists in Denmark, referred to as kitchen middens—heaps of oyster and shellfish refuse that date back to the Pea Bull culture, prevalent in southern Scandinavia and northern Germany from 5,200 to 4,000 BC.
– We have some preserved kitchen middens around the Oslofjord, along with a few potentially encased in sand on Jæren, says Nielsen.
At settlements from the Pea Bull culture, various harpoons made of whale bones and antlers have been discovered, presumably used for catching seals and, perhaps, whales.
This culture cleverly harnessed tidal patterns for fishing. In many parts of Denmark, long V-shaped fences were set into the sea during this period, stretching up to 100 meters, often beautifully preserved, designed to trap fish at low tide.
Nets and Smaller Whales
During the Neolithic era (4,000 to 1,700 BC), evidence suggests that fishing methods evolved to include nets.
– We also see that larger marine mammals, such as dolphins and smaller whales, were actively hunted.
In the 1930s, a jawbone bearing cut marks from killer whales, along with vertebrae from tuna, were discovered during marsh drainage at Jortveit farm, alongside fish hooks and harpoons dating back to between 3,500 and 2,500 BC.
Nielsen and his colleagues are currently advancing their archaeological studies at the farm, employing georadar technology to map stratigraphy and sediment layers in the bog.
– The sediments are believed to have formed in salt water, leading us to uncover hundreds of bones from mackerel sturgeon, as well as remains from toothed whales, Nielsen explains.
A Lagoon’s Secrets
How did these marine creatures find their way into the lagoon?
The researchers suggest that 5,000 years ago, the marsh area functioned as a lagoon, with Stone Age settlements perched about twelve meters above sea level.
As herring swam into a dead end, both tuna and killer whales followed, unwittingly leading themselves into shallow waters. This is where people skillfully maneuvered their boats with harpoons and fishing gear.
– The process involved harpooning the whales, letting them bleed out and ensuring they didn’t escape before dragging them ashore, Nielsen explains.
However, success was not guaranteed.
The researchers interpret the bones found in the bog as those of animals that might have managed to flee initially but succumbed to their injuries later.
Looking Ahead
Nielsen asserts that evidence strongly supports the idea that whaling activities in the Nordic countries date back at least 5,000 years, paralleling the findings in Brazil.
He posits that the discoveries at Jortveit may represent the most compelling evidence to date.
– There has been speculation that whaling occurred in Denmark during the era of the Pea Bull culture, although this would have taken place a millennium later. So far, conclusions remain elusive, with the prevailing belief that beached whales were the primary target.
Evidence from prehistoric cave carvings depicting whales further solidifies this case, as some of these engravings, such as those in Skogerveien, Drammen, are over 6,000 years old.
Looking ahead, Nielsen and his team plan to deepen their research into ancient maritime practices. They are currently investigating Øygarden in Bergen, a site notorious for its whaling practices using crossbows and spears up until the 19th century.
– We are eager to see what else we can discover, adds Nielsen.
In May, further excavations will take place at a farm on Tromøy, where researchers suspect similar hunting practices existed during the Neolithic.
Reference:
SV Nielsen & P. Persson: “The Jortveit farm wetland: A Neolithic fishing site on the Skagerrak coast, Norway”, Journal of Wetland Archaeology, 12 June 2020.