Scandinavian Civilization

SCANDINAVIAN CIVILIZATION. At the close of the Ice Age climatic conditions at last allowed man to enter Scandi navia; but authorities differ as to when this occurred, suggestions varying from 1o,000 B.C. to 6,000 B.C.

Epipalaeolithic Period.

The earliest civilizations belong to the so-called Epipalaeolithic Period, of which two stages are at present recognised in Denmark, called after their type-stations the Maglemose and Ertebolle Periods. The former is that of a race of fishermen who lived on the shores of the Baltic while it was still a great fresh-water lake (called by geologists Ancylus lake) ; at Maglemose were found many tools of bone, horn and stone : the most typical being the barbed harpoon of bone or horn and a chipped flint axe known as the tranchet. Pottery was not found. In the following period (Ertebolle) a rise in sea-level had allowed the sea to flow into the Baltic (this is called by geologists the Littorina sea). The typical remains of this age are usually found in vast rubbish-heaps or kitchen middens (kjOkkenmOddinger). Bone and horn tools and other objects, e.g., combs were still used, but flint was now the most important material. Pottery had come into use, the com monest form being a wide-mouthed bulging jar with pointed base. It is probable that in Norway and Sweden similar settlements existed, at present less fully known ; for instance, remains at NOstvet in Norway and at Limhamn in Sweden resemble and may be contemporary with those at Ertebolle. With the exception of the dog, domestic animals were unknown at this period, and agriculture was not practised.

Neolithic Period.

In the remoter districts of Norway and Sweden the epipalaeolithic people retained their primitive mode of life for a long time, untouched by the more advanced, neolithic civilizations developing to the south of them.

Our knowledge of these neolithic civilizations is almost entirely gathered from a study of the burial customs of the period. Such dwellings as are known are simple circular mud huts, containing few remains but animal bones, etc. All the more important graves of this period in Scandinavia are megalithic structures, a chrono logical sequence of three types being recognised (corresponding to Montelius' Periods II., III. and IV.). The earliest form of tomb was the Dolmen (q.v.), a small chamber enclosed by three

or more rude upright stones, roofed by a single great stone slab, and often still partially covered by a mound. These graves, which usually contained several unburnt bodies, are not very richly furnished, but are characterized by the thin-butted axe (so-called celt) of flint, usually ground and polished, and by pottery, mostly ornamented flasks and vases. From these came the Passage Grave (Chamber-Tomb), a more elaborate structure in which a large megalithic chamber was approached by a passage walled and roofed with stone slabs. Such tombs are often of great size ; a typical example figured by Du Chaillu, at Axvalla Heath, near Lake Venern, Vestergotland, Sweden, has a chamber 32X 9 ft. and a passage 20 ft. long. These communal tombs sometimes contained as many as 10o skeletons, unburnt, and numerous associated objects. Some of the most typical are the thick-butted axe of flint, sometimes ground and polished ; the perforated stone axe; transverse arrowheads and arrowheads with triangular section; oval, thick-butted daggers of chipped flint ; amber beads ; and pottery, usually angular or round bottomed bowls. The Passage Grave then degenerated into the Long Stone Cist. These graves also contained numerous skeletons, but are scantily furnished, the typical objects being a lunate knife of chipped flint and a beauti ful, handled dagger, perhaps the finest achievement of any flint workers. The pottery was poor and undecorated.

The civilization of the megalith-builders indicates a highly or ganized society of traders and farmers. Remains of domestic animals (horse, sheep, swine, cattle and dog) and traces of the cultivation of grain (barley, wheat and flax) are found round their huts; animal bones are also found in the mounds covering the tombs. Trade is proved by the occurrence of objects of Scandinavian origin in Britain (e.g., perforated axes and thick butted dagger-blades of Scandinavian workmanship in graves of the Beaker Period) and in central Europe (e.g., necklaces of Baltic amber in Aunjetitz graves) and vice versa. The graves are most thickly distributed round the coastal districts of Denmark and Sweden, only in the latest (Long Stone Cist) period spreading to Norway and inner Sweden.