Seeking the First Farmers in Western Sjælland, Denmark: The Archaeology of the Transition to Agriculture in Northern Europe

305 Pages·2022·8.636 MB·English

by  T. Douglas Price

Seeking the first farmers in
western Sjælland, Denmark
DeDication
In memory of Mads Esbjerg and Egon Iversen
With deep thanks to all the members of the field crews over the years
With great appreciation to Jens Nielsen, Nanna Noe-Nygaard, and Lisbeth Pedersen and the support
of the Kalundborg Museum
With deep gratitude to the Kalundborg Archaeological Association
With sincere thanks to those institutions that provided funding – Wisconsin Alumni Research
Foundation, Fullbright Foundation, the U.S. National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society,
the Danish Research Council, and the Carlsberg Foundation
With great love for Anne Birgitte Gebauer
Oxford & Philadelphia
Seeking the fi rst farmers
in western Sjælland,
Denmark
The archaeology of the transition to agriculture in
Northern Europe
T. Douglas Price
Oxford & Philadelphia
Published in the United Kingdom in 2022 by
OXBOW BOOKS
The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE
and in the United States by
OXBOW BOOKS
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© Oxbow Books and the author 2022
Hardback edition: ISBN 978-1-78925-765-6
Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78925-766-3
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Contents
List of figures .........................................................................................................................vii
List of tables .........................................................................................................................xiii
Foreword, by Lisbeth Pedersen ..............................................................................................xv
Preface ................................................................................................................................xxiii
Acknowledgements ...........................................................................................................xxix
1. Setting the table – an introduction ................................................................................1
The Danish past ..................................................................................................................1
History of archaeological research ...............................................................................16
Monumental tombs .........................................................................................................19
An introduction to the region .......................................................................................23
Organization of this book ...............................................................................................28
2. Archaeological survey .....................................................................................................31
Survey of the Saltbæk Vig Drainage, Western Sjælland ...........................................32
The research area ............................................................................................................35
The archaeological survey ..............................................................................................41
The results of the survey ................................................................................................54
Analysis of data and maps ..............................................................................................63
Conclusions .......................................................................................................................73
3. Site testing ........................................................................................................................77
1. TMMbdr (aka Lindebjerg) .........................................................................................78
2. TMMbfb (aka Kåstrup Holme) ..................................................................................84
3. TMMbfe ........................................................................................................................87
4. TMMbdv (aka Saltmade, Viggo’s site) .....................................................................87
5. TMMbfh (aka Mollie’s Site) .......................................................................................89
6. TMMbfs .........................................................................................................................91
7. BREbbd: Engelsborg (aka the Midwife Site) ...........................................................91
8. RAKbdl (aka Birkhøj) .................................................................................................95
9. RAKbay ........................................................................................................................100
10. RAKbbn ......................................................................................................................100
11. RAKbdg (aka Vildsvinepladsen) ............................................................................101
12. RAKbba (aka Illerup Sand) .....................................................................................103
13. VISbao (aka Smakkerup Huse) ..............................................................................104
Summary .........................................................................................................................104
vi Contents
4. Smakkerup Huse ............................................................................................................107
Introduction ....................................................................................................................107
Excavations at Smakkerup Huse .................................................................................107
Discussion ........................................................................................................................124
Conclusions .....................................................................................................................127
5. Excavations at Trustrup ................................................................................................129
Introduction ....................................................................................................................129
Testing at Gravhøjsmarken ..........................................................................................131
Excavations at Trustrup ................................................................................................131
Conclusions .....................................................................................................................136
6. Dragsholm and Bøgebjerg ............................................................................................139
Introduction ....................................................................................................................139
Excavations at Dragsholm ............................................................................................142
Excavations at Bøgebjerg ..............................................................................................169
7. Fårevejle Kro ...................................................................................................................175
Introduction ....................................................................................................................175
Excavations at Fårevejle Kro ........................................................................................175
Results of excavations ...................................................................................................183
Radiocarbon dating .......................................................................................................189
Conclusions .....................................................................................................................199
8. Asnæs Havnemark .........................................................................................................201
Introduction ....................................................................................................................201
Excavations at Asnæs Havnemark ..............................................................................202
Interpretation .................................................................................................................227
Conclusions .....................................................................................................................229
9. Conclusions .....................................................................................................................231
Góbekli Tepe ...................................................................................................................233
Climate change ...............................................................................................................235
A map of cropland .........................................................................................................237
Origins of Agriculture Conference 2009 .....................................................................238
Isotopes and teeth .........................................................................................................239
Seasonality and sedentism ...........................................................................................240
Ancient DNA ...................................................................................................................241
Some answers .................................................................................................................242
The end ............................................................................................................................254
Bibliography .........................................................................................................................257
List of figures
Fig. F.1. Presentation of the publication Smakkerup Huse in 2005
in Kalundborg Museum. xvi
Fig. F.2. Search for submerged islets in Saltbæk Vig in 1994. xvii
Fig. F.3. ‘Karoline's dysse’ at Gravhøjsmarken on the east bank of
Lille Åmose, 2021. xviii
Fig. F.4. Initial working group at the memorial stone for the embankment
of Saltbæk in 1989. xx
Fig. F.5. One day’s harvest (1990). xx
Fig. F.6. Trench at Smakkerup Huse, 1989. xxi
Fig. F.7. Project party in the Knights’ Hall at Kalundborg Museum, 1995 xxi
Fig. 0.1. Warsaw. First Mesolithic Congress, 1973. xxiv
Fig. 0.2. Erik Brinch Petersen. xxv
Fig. 0.3. Jens Nielsen and Anne Birgitte Gebauer. xxv
Fig. 0.4. Lisbeth Pedersen and Columbus. xxvi
Fig. 0.5. Nanna Noe-Nygaard. xxx
Fig. 0.6. Jens Nielsen, Tony Ruter, Ken Ritchie, Terry Slocum, and
Doug Price leaving the museum for a day of fieldwork. xxx
Fig. 1.1. A chronological chart of the Danish past. 2
Fig. 1.2. Paleolithic points from southern Scandinavia. 3
Fig. 1.3. An Ertebølle pot. 7
Fig. 1.4. Amber figurines. 7
Fig. 1.5. Major Early Neolithic cultures in Central and Northern Europe. 8
Fig. 1.6. A chronological chart for TRB in southern Scandinavia. 9
Fig. 1.7. ENI and ENII pottery styles. 10
Fig. 1.8. Neolithic polished stone axes. 12
Fig. 1.9. Chronology for the Danish Neolithic. 15
Fig. 1.10. Dagger types from the Late Neolithic of Denmark. 17
Fig. 1.11. Photograph of shell midden excavation at Vejle Kro in 1896. 18
Fig. 1.12. Long dolmen on the peninsula of Røsnæs. 19
Fig. 1.13. Distribution of megalithic tombs in southern Scandinavia. 20
Fig. 1.14. Long dolmen. 21
Fig. 1.15. (a) dolmen, (b) passage grave. Both kinds of megalithic tombs
were often buried under a mound of earth. 21
Fig. 1.16. Dolmens in the study area. 22
Fig. 1.17. Glacial features on the island of Sjælland. 24
Fig. 1.18. The submergence of the Danish Storebælt. 25
viii List of figures
Fig. 1.19. Contour map of western Sjælland and location of sites
excavated in this project. 27
Fig. 1.20. Locations of excavations discussed in this volume 28
Fig. 2.1. Some diagnostic artifacts from Mesolithic and Neolithic. 34
Fig. 2.2. Pumping station involved in drainage of Saltbæk Vig from 1895. 36
Fig. 2.3. Early Holocene sea level changes in western Sjælland. 39
Fig. 2.4. 1852 Cadaster map of Lindebjerg area on the south side of
the Saltbæk Vig. 40
Fig. 2.5. Field survey and artifact collection. 41
Fig. 2.6. Surveyed fields and Mesolithic settlements in the Saltbæk
Vig project area. 44
Fig. 2.7. Surveyed fields and Early Neolithic settlements in the
Saltbæk Vig project area. 45
Fig. 2.8. Survey results in in the Karrebæk-Dybsø fjord. 47
Fig. 2.9. Number of artifacts per locality and site size. 48
Fig. 2.10. Late Paleolithic point from Saltbæk Vig area. 56
Fig. 2.11. Spoon-shaped scraper from the Neolithic. 61
Fig. 2.12. Number of sites by time period from our survey,
Mathiassen (1948), and the Sognevbeskrivelse. 67
Fig. 2.13. The distribution of prehistoric human settlement in the
Ystad area. 74
Fig. 3.1. A map of the location of the selected test sites in the
Saltbæk Vig area. 78
Fig. 3.2. Sketch of the excavated trenches at TMMbdr. 79
Fig. 3.3. Excavated trenches with features at TMMbdr. 79
Fig. 3.4. Excavation of the wide trench at Lindebjerg. 81
Fig. 3.5. Beth Workmaster excavating the Iron Age Vessel in Feature A30. 81
Fig. 3.6. Flake knife (Skive kniv) from BREbc. 83
Fig. 3.7. Polished axe fragment used as a flake core, TMMbdr. 83
Fig. 3.8. A Mesolithic flake axe. 84
Fig. 3.9. Specialized core ax, with prepared bit (TMMbfd). 85
Fig. 3.10. Excavations at Viggo’s site. 87
Fig. 3.11. Sharpened wooden stake. 89
Fig. 3.12. Decorated bone awl. 89
Fig. 3.13. Plan of excavations at TMMbfh. 90
Fig. 3.14. Sketch map of test pits and trench at BREbbd. 92
Fig. 3.15. Trench 1, Section profile. West wall. BREbbd. 92
Fig. 3.16. Circular scraper on large flake. 96
Fig. 3.17. Sherd drawings from RAKbdl. 99
Fig. 4.1. The Saltbæk Vig inlet showing the site of Smakkerup Huse,
the neighboring Late Ertebølle site of Engelsborg and the
Early Neolithic long barrow at Lindebjerg. 108
List of figures ix
Fig. 4.2. 1852 map of Saltbæk Vig and Bregninge. 109
Fig. 4.3. Excavation and crew at Smakkerup Huse: Kasper Johansen,
Gitte Gebauer, and Mike Stafford. 109
Fig. 4.4. Excavations at Smakkerup Huse. 110
Fig. 4.5. Geological interpretation of the deposits in Trench 2 at
Smakkerup Huse. 111
Fig. 4.6. A 10 m stratigraphic section at Smakkerup Huse. North–south
running section at the sheltered area used as fishing zone and
boat landing. 112
Fig. 4.7. Section B, 43 m stratigraphic section at Smakkerup Huse, 1989. 112
Fig. 4.8. Radiocarbon dates from Smakkerup Huse. 113
Fig. 4.9. Red deer antler and steppingstone at Smakkerup Huse. 114
Fig. 4.10. Fishing and boat landing area. 115
Fig. 4.11. Distribution of the three big game animals and other species
at Smakkerup Huse. 119
Fig. 4.12. Percentage distribution of fish species. 120
Fig. 4.13. Jens Nielsen with an example of the two sizes of hazel stakes. 122
Fig. 4.14. Histogram of hazel stake diameter (cm) at Smakkerup Huse. 122
Fig. 4.15. Bone awls from the site of Smakkerup Huse. 123
Fig. 4.16. An amber pendant and two tooth beads/pendants. 123
Fig. 4.17. Utilized spurdog spinecompared to modern unused specimen. 123
Fig. 4.18. Fishhooks carved from bone. 124
Fig. 4.19. The painted pebble from Smakkerup Huse. 124
Fig. 4.20. Seasonality at Smakkerup Huse. 125
Fig. 5.1. Relative numbers of coastal and inland sites from the Mesolithic. 129
Fig. 5.2. The distribution of Ertebølle sites and pointed-butted axes in the
northwest Sjælland. 130
Fig. 5.3. Location of Åmose area in relation to the Saltbæk Vig. 131
Fig. 5.4. A photo of winter flooding north of Tissø in 2005. 131
Fig. 5.5. Location of Trustrup excavations in western Sjælland. 132
Fig 5.6. Excavations at Trustrup, 2002. 132
Fig. 5.7. Plan of excavations at Trustrup, 2002. 133
Fig. 5.8. Profile drawing from Trustrup, north wall, 100N102E–100N105E. 134
Fig. 6.1. The Mesolithic and Neolithic graves at Dragsholm. 140
Fig. 6.2. Excavations at Dragsholm. 141
Fig. 6.3. The Dragsholm site and Mertz’s (1924) sea level rise estimates. 142
Fig. 6.4. Drasholm Slot today with Sejerø Bay in the background. 143
Fig. 6.5. 1771 Military map of the Dragsholm area. 143
Fig. 6.6. Simulated flooding of the Dragsholm inlet between the
Lammefjord and the Storebælt in 1 m increments. 144
Fig. 6.7. Plan of Dragholm excavations (1973, 2002–2004). 146
Fig. 6.8. Dragsholm 2003. Test 11 Section. West Wall. 149