Skateholm I and II cemeteries form the core of a notable Late Mesolithic activity area located in southern Sweden on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The burial sites date back to approximately 5,200–4,800 BCE, representing the final stage of the hunter-fisher-gatherer way of life. The cemeteries have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of Late Mesolithic societies in Northern Europe by shedding light on aspects such as material culture, ritual practices, and social organization. For the first time, evidence of perishable soft organic materials such as fur, feathers and plant fibres were investigated in 35 burials in Skateholm I and II. The research was based on the identification of microscopic fibre remains in soil samples that were collected during the excavations in the 1980s. The research provided indications of clothes, headgear, and footwear as well as the use of soft organic materials for grave furnishing and possible wrapping. Microscopic fibres were recovered even in burials that lack other grave goods. Moreover, the species composition was consistent with the reconstruction of human-animal relations based on osteological studies. Our research underlines the importance of microarchaeological analysis of graves in search of highly decomposed organic materials which may facilitate the full recognition of feathers, furs and fibres in archaeological mortuary research. In future, microarchaeological identification of highly perishable organic materials can provide hitherto invisible zooarchaeological find material to widen our understanding of past material culture.

Skateholm is an iconic site in Late Mesolithic research. Its numerous human graves and well-preserved cultural layers have provided a wealth of knowledge on prehistoric forager lifeways. However, while several studies have focused on the origins of the interred humans, little is known about land use, hunting grounds, and long-distance relations. To address this, we analysed 12 unmodified teeth and 22 tooth-beads for sequential strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) and conducted a use-wear analysis of the beads to assess usage extent and inheritance. The animal Sr data were contextualised within a high-resolution bioavailable Sr baseline of 1651 samples from Southern Scandinavia and the northern Central European plains and visualised with an Empirical Bayesian Kriging interpolated map. To fully utilise the sequential tooth data and establish probable areas of origin, the landscape around Skateholm was divided into 34 subregions, and its Sr ratios correlated with the tooth-specific Sr patterns. The relationship between teeth and subregions was examined with a Principal Component Analysis, where the Euclidean distances, through a Bayesian Gaussian-like model, were recalculated into probabilities of origin. Results show that all unmodified teeth and ca 40% of the tooth beads originated from an adjacent area to the west of the site, most likely representing the group territory and hunting grounds. The remaining tooth beads cluster into five non-local regions across Scania and Blekinge. By combining bead use-wear patterns with Sr data, we demonstrate extensive networks and inheritance practices, including a potential multi-generational use of tooth-beads from special animals. This novel approach to high-resolution Sr isotope analysis enables precise identification of local and non-local origins, offering significant potential for reconstructing mobility, transhumance, and landscape use in prehistoric societies worldwide.

SummaryWhen investigating a settlement dated to the late Mesolithic, c.5500 cal BC, at Strandvägen in south‐central Sweden, an extensive assemblage of implements made of bone and antler was found. Among these finds was a richly decorated antler piece, likely part of an antler axe. Originally it was equipped with shallow ornamentation that was later removed and replaced by a second deeper motif of longitudinal bands with filling, occurring in three distinct zones. The degrees of precision shown, manners of execution and motif selection in the later set of decorations suggest that more than one person carried it out. Subsequently, the axe was broken and transformed into another tool, probably a harpoon, which eventually also became fragmented. Finally, the remaining part was deliberately deposited among other selected finds on a stone platform in the river just off the shoreline of the settlement.

The Corded Ware Culture complex in Sweden involves a special form of social structure called the Battle Axe Culture. Among well-known features, such as single graves, there are also other forms of expression. A special form of find is illustrated by a place with a significant accumulation of deliberately burned or otherwise destroyed objects. This mass deposit includes both well-known object forms and items indicative of far-reaching contacts. This kind of deposit practice has continuity dating back more than a millennium. The earliest part of the Late Middle Neolithic (Younger Neolithic I) appears to be a period of multicultural elements that included a continuation of the Funnel Beaker Culture with evident influences from the Pitted Ware Culture. Another form of expression relates to the so-called palisade constructions. Aspects of relations within southern Scandinavia, involving influences from the Corded Ware Culture and older cultural forms, are discussed. It is suggested that a tradition based on Funnel Beaker Culture has a longer existence in parts of Scania, the southernmost part of Sweden, than in the rest of southern Sweden.

The ecological conditions show synchronous differences between southern and northern Sweden, due to the delayed immigration of flora and fauna in such a long, narrow country. One of the first forest animals to immigrate was the elk. It was also among the first to disappear from southern Sweden. Mattock-heads made from elk antlers have been found in both southern and northern Sweden. In the south, they date to Preboreal times. In Jämtland, in the interior of Norrland, where the character of the bedrock has resulted in low pH values in the surface sediments, four elk antler tools have been found, three of which are mattock-heads. These turn out to span the period from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic, as with the mattock-heads found in Norway. The difference in age between the finds from the south and the north is conspicuous, as is the age variation among those found in Jämtland. The article considers the importance of the elk as a ritual creature and the role of the mattock-heads, which served not only as functional tools but also as actors in people’s imagination.

A distinct concentration of 150 gallery graves dating to the Late Neolithic (2400–1700 BC ) occurs in Göteryd parish in the South Swedish Uplands. This study investigates why such a concentration of gallery graves exists in this region and why these were not exchanged by new monuments in the Bronze Age. In order to discuss these issues, the distribution of the monuments and the stray finds have been analysed and correlated to the results of local pollen analysis. The results support the impression of abandonment at the transition from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The processes of expansion and abandonment seem to reflect general population trends, as discussed in recent works on population dynamics. Göteryd parish is a highland region and marginal from an agricultural point of view, but it borders on fertile and plain coastal areas, which are easily accessible through river valleys. In periods of population growth, Göteryd parish would absorb people from the coastal plains, a process that probably was reversed when the population shrank. The geographical position of the Göteryd area created a particular dynamic and made it vulnerable to changes in population dynamics, social networks, and climate.

Strontium isotope ratios in human teeth from the three Swedish prehistoric Stone Age hunter-fisher-gathering societies Norje Sunnansund (Maglemose), Skateholm (Ertebølle) and Västerbjers (Pitted Ware Culture) were analysed with laser ablation to produce data on both individual movement patterns and societal mobility trends. The analyses of teeth from both Skateholm and Västerbjers displayed homogeneous ratios and corresponding mobility patterns, while the data from Norje Sunnansund showed larger variances with heterogenous strontium ratios and varied inter-individual mobility patterns. Correlation with the bioavailable baseline suggests that the size of the geographical areas, where human strontium ratios could have originated, was roughly comparable for all three sites. The teeth measurements were reflected within a 50-km radius of the surrounding landscape and the 25–75% data quartile matched with distances between 3 and 30 km from the sites, suggesting limited mobility ranges among aquatically dependent foragers from southernmost Sweden. By applying ethnographic analogies and site-specific contextual inferences, the results suggest that mobility ranges at Norje Sunnansund were likely not delimited by neighbouring group territories. This changed over time and an increasing territorialisation of the landscape may have influenced movement patterns and caused restrictions to the foraging activities at both Skateholm and Västerbjers.

In the framework of an archaeological prospection case study conducted at the Swedish Iron Age site of Uppåkra near Lund, a large number of anomalies caused by buried archaeological remains were detected using extensive magnetic surveys. Written sources report that the Swedish army under Field marshal Gustav Horn had established a camp near the village of Uppåkra in autumn 1644, awaiting the approaching Danish army. Magnetic anomalies of two large, square structures, numerous pits and several pit alignments have been interpreted as possible traces of buried remains of this army camp. We present archaeological prospection data from Uppåkra with regard to the events that took place during Horn's war in 1644.

In several graves from the Mesolithic sites of Skateholm, South Sweden, animal teeth were found. Some of these teeth were used as beads in clothing. The strontium isotope analysis of 11 animal teeth is reported and discussed in comparison with human values from burials at the sites and baseline values from South Sweden. Roughly half of the animal teeth are nonlocal and from different places of origin. The beads themselves appear to carry symbolic information that may be related to the physical or social attributes of the wearer. This study involved a detailed investigation of the use-wear around the perforation and its relation to the local and nonlocal origin of the teeth.

To evaluate the possibility of obtaining detailed individual mobility data from archaeological teeth, the strontium isotope ratios on 28 human teeth from three separate Early-Mid Holocene, Swedish, foraging contexts (Norje Sunnansund, Skateholm and Västerbjers) were analysed through laser ablation. The teeth/individuals have previously been analysed using traditional bulk sampled thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. To validate the conclusions regarding the archaeological teeth, a tooth from a modern man with a known background was also analysed. The result shows that all of the teeth display less than 0.4% discrepancy between the mean values of the laser ablation profiles and the previously published bulk data and 25 (89%) of the teeth display less than a 0.2% discrepancy. By calculating linear and polynomial trendlines for each ablated tooth, it was possible to illustrate a strong correlation for the transition pattern between the measurements when following a chronological sequence from the tip to the cervix. Such correlations were not reproduced when the data sequence was randomized. The analyses show that the chronologically sequenced ablation data fit with a transition between local bioavailable strontium regions, that the measurements do not fluctuate between extremes and that their values are not caused by end-member mixing. This indicates an increasing data resolution when reducing strontium isotope ratio averaging time by minimizing the sampling area. The results suggest strontium incorporation in human teeth can be measured on an ordinal scale, with a traceable chronological order to enamel mineralization when sampled from tip to cervix at an equal distance from the surface. Micro-sampling enamel is considered a valid method to assess prehistoric, but not modern, human mobility; laser ablation technology increases the amount of information obtained from a single tooth while rendering minimal damage to the studied specimen.

At Norje Sunnansund, an Early Holocene settlement in southern Sweden, the world’s earliest evidence of fermentation has been interpreted as a method of managing long-term and large-scale food surplus. While an advanced fishery is suggested by the number of recovered fish bones, until now it has not been possible to identify the origin of the fish, or whether and how their seasonal migration was exploited. We analysed strontium isotope ratios ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) in 16 cyprinid and 8 pike teeth, which were recovered at the site, both from within the fermentation pit and from different areas outside of it, by using laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our investigation indicates three different regions of origin for the fish at the site. We find that the most commonly fermented fish, cyprinids (roach), were caught in the autumn during their seasonal migration from the Baltic Sea to the sheltered stream and lake next to the site. This is in contrast to the cyprinids from other areas of the site, which were caught when migrating from nearby estuaries and the Baltic Sea coast during late spring. The pikes from the fermentation pit were caught in the autumn as by-catch to the mainly targeted roach while moving from the nearby Baltic Sea coast. Lastly, the pikes from outside the fermentation pit were likely caught as they migrated from nearby waters in sedimentary bedrock areas to the south of the site, to spawn in early spring. Combined, these data suggest an advanced fishery with the ability to combine optimal use of seasonal fish abundance at different times of the year. Our results offer insights into the practice of delayed-return consumption patterns, provide a more complete view of the storage system used, and increase our understanding of Early Holocene sedentism among northern hunter-fisher-gatherers. By applying advanced strontium isotope analyses to archaeological material integrated into an ecological setting, we present a methodology that can be used elsewhere to enhance our understanding of the otherwise elusive indications of storage practices and fish exploitation patterns among ancient foraging societies.

During the Early and Middle Mesolithic the bog Rönneholms Mosse, situated in central Scania, southernmost Sweden, was part of a large and shallow lake.It filled up with organic material over a long time, lasting until the middle part of the Atlantic period.Due to large-scale peat extraction in the bog, surveys and excavations have been conducted for a number of years.Besides a large number of small campsites, numerous slotted points, harpoon and leister points made of bone have been found in the gyttja layers.During leister fishing the points fell out of the shafts or handles, or their tips simply broke off.The points show a considerable variation in shape and raw material.Through radiocarbon dating it has been possible to establish a chronologically based typology.This sequence, partly different to other find situations in southern Scandinavia, is of major importance for dating sites as well as stray finds.

In the 1930s, during the construction of a house south of Lund in south-western Scania (southern Sweden), a thick occupation layer was discovered. The layer formed as a result of settlement during the Early Iron Age as a small-scale excavation demonstrated. The article is a presentation of recent investigations of the site in 1996-2014. The occupation layer, which covers an area of some 40 hectares, contained traces of settlements from the late Pre-Roman Iron Age to the Viking Age. Of particular significance are the remains of a small timber structure interpreted as a ceremonial building. It was reconstructed seven times during the 1st millennium AD and used for around seven hundred years. On each side of the ceremonial building were depositions of weapons combined with animal bones from large feasts. Besides the ceremonial building, several large halls were excavated, dating from the Roman Iron Age to the Viking Age. These produced evidence of repeated and deliberate arson. Several years of metal detector surveys have resulted in 14,000 registered finds that give a good foundation for interpreting the significance of the site in local, regional and international perspectives as an important religious, political and economic centre in southern Sweden. Contributions by a large number of scholars have helped to provide a well-based insight into different crafts and sources of artistic inspiration.

In the 1930s, during the construction of a house south of Lund in south-western Scania (southern Sweden), a thick occupation layer was discovered. The layer formed as a result of settlement during the Early Iron Age as a small-scale excavation demonstrated. The article is a presentation of recent investigations of the site in 1996–2014. The occupation layer, which covers an area of some 40 hectares, contained traces of settlements from the late Pre-Roman Iron Age to the Viking Age. Of particular significance are the remains of a small timber structure interpreted as a ceremonial building. It was reconstructed seven times during the 1 st millennium AD and used for around seven hundred years. On each side of the ceremonial building were depositions of weapons combined with animal bones from large feasts. Besides the ceremonial building, several large halls were excavated, dating from the Roman Iron Age to the Viking Age. These produced evidence of repeated and deliberate arson. Several years of metal detector surveys have resulted in 14,000 registered finds that give a good foundation for interpreting the significance of the site in local, regional and international perspectives as an important religious, political and economic centre in southern Sweden. Contributions by a large number of scholars have helped to provide a well-based insight into different crafts and sources of artistic inspiration.

The author has been engaged for a number of years in the excavation and study of depositions from the Neolithic that include a considerable number of flint objects, mainly axe- and chisel-heads intentionally altered by heating. Only a small number of such depositions have been identified in Denmark and Sweden, dating from the Early Neolithic until the Late Neolithic. However, small numbers of heated flint objects have been found on many sites, mainly in relation to megalithic tombs, causewayed enclosures and palisade structures. They are also found in other circumstances, such as in postholes of houses. In order to investigate the process of heating the flint artefacts, experiments were conducted with different types of fires. The results of these are presented. It was possible to determine that the alteration of the flint objects was not the kind of spectacular pyrotechnical event with sound and colour changes that a large group of people could readily have observed. Instead, it was a process that involved heat treatment as a much less public event