Kongemose culture

Kongemose culture

Geographical range	Europe
Period	Mesolithic Europe
Dates	circa 6,000 B.C.E. — circa 5,200 B.C.E.
Preceded by	Maglemosian culture
Followed by	Ertebølle culture

Kongemose culture

The Kongemose culture (Kongemosekulturen) was a mesolithic hunter-gatherer culture in southern Scandinavia ca. 6000 BC–5200 BC and the origin of the Ertebølle culture. It was preceded by the Maglemosian culture. In the north it bordered on the Scandinavian Nøstvet and Lihult cultures.

The Kongemose culture is named after a location in western Zealand and its typical form is known from Denmark and Skåne. The finds are characterised by long flintstone flakes, used for making characteristic rhombic arrowheads, scrapers, drills, awls, and toothed blades. Tiny micro blades constituted the edges of bone daggers that were often decorated with geometric patterns. Stone axes were made of a variety of stones, and other tools were made of horn and bone. The main economy was based on hunting red deer, roe deer, and wild boar, supplemented by fishing at the coastal settlements.

Genetics

Further information: Motala § Archaeogenetics

See also: Zvejnieki burial ground, Deriivka, Khvalynsk § Archaeogenetics, Iron Gates Mesolithic, and Samara culture § Genetics

Other sources

• Clark, Grahame (2009) The Earlier Stone Age Settlement of Scandinavia (Cambridge University Press) ISBN 978-0-521-10767-9