Maglemosian culture

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The Mesolithic
The Epipaleolithic
Mesolithic Europe
Epipaleolithic Europe
Fosna-Hensbacka culture
Komsa culture
Maglemosian culture
Kunda culture
Narva culture
Komornica culture
Swiderian culture
Epipaleolithic Transylvania
Mesolithic Transylvania
Schela Cladovei culture
Mesolithic Southeastern Europe
Stone Age
The Baltic Ice Lake around 7.500 BC (then aka. the Ancylus Lake). Relics of the Scandinavian glacier is illustrated in white. The Svea älv and the Göta älv, was the mouth and connection to the Atlantic Ocean.
Maglemosian burial on the island of Téviec (Morbihan, France).

Maglemosian (ca. 9000 BC6000 BC) is the name given to a culture of the early Mesolithic period in Northern Europe. In Scandinavia, the culture was succeeded by the Kongemose culture.

The actual name originates from the Danish archeological site Maglemose, situated near Gørlev and Høng on western Zealand, southwest of lake Tissø. Here the first settlement of the culture was excavated in the year 1900, by George Sarauw.[1] During the following century a long series of similar settlements were excavated from England to Poland and from Skåne in Sweden to northern France.

The Maglemosian people lived in forest and wetland environments, using fishing and hunting tools made from wood, bone, and flint microliths. It appears that they had domesticated the dog.[citation needed] Some may have lived settled lives, but most were nomadic.[citation needed]

Huts made of bark have been preserved, and the tools were made of flintstone, bone, and horn. A characteristic of the culture are the sharply edged microliths of flintstone which were used for spear heads and arrow heads.[2] A notable feature is the 'Leister', a characteristic type of fishing spear used for gigging.

When the Magesmosian culture reigned, sea levels were much lower than nowadays and Europe and Scandinavia was landlocked with Britain. The cultural period overlaps the end of the last ice age, when the ice retreated and the glaciers melted. It was a long process and sea levels in Northern Europe, did not reach current levels until almost 6000 BC, by which time they had inundated large territories inhabited by Maglemosian people. Therefore, there is hope that the emerging discipline of underwater archaeology may reveal interesting finds related to the Maglemosian culture in the future.

Scandinavian data table[edit]

Era Early Maglemosian culture Middle Maglemosian culture Late Maglemosian culture
Timespan 9.000-7.800 BC. 7.800-7.000 BC. 7.000-6.400 BC
Climatic period Preboreal Epoch Boreal Epoch Atlantic Epoch
Plantgrowth Birch-pine era Hazel-pine era Later linden era
Fauna (game) aurochs, bison, elk, wild horse aurochs, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, lynx, fox, polecat, badger, wildcat aurochs, red deer, roe deer, wild boar, lynx, fox, polecat, badger, wildcat
Bird game crane, lapwing merganser, grebe, coot, heron, crane, lapwing merganser, grebe, coot, heron, crane, lapwing
Locale type Klosterlund

See also[edit]


  • Anders Fischer: "Submerged Stone Age – Danish Examples and North sea potential"; i: N.C.Flemming: Submarine Prehistory and Arhaeology of the North Sea: research priorities and collaboration with industry. CBA Research Report 141, 2004, s. 23ff

Danish languaged texts

  • Geoffrey Bibby: Spadens vidnedsbyrd; Wormanium 1980, ISBN 87-8516-071-7 s. 109f
  • Gyldendal og Politikens Danmarkshistorie (red. af Olaf Olsen); Bind 1: I begyndelsen. Fra de ældste tider til ca. år 200 f.Kr. (ved Jørgen Jensen); 1988, s. 47ff
  • Jørgen Jensen: Danmarks Oldtid. Stenalder, 13.000-2.000 f.Kr.; Gyldendal 2001, ISBN 87-00-49038-5 s. 86ff
  • Anders Fischer: "En håndfuld flint", Skalk nr. 5, 1973, s. 8ff
  • Anders Fischer: "Mennesket og havet i ældre stenalder"; i: Carin Bunte (red): Arkeologi och Naturvetenskab, Lund 2005, s. 276ff
  • Kim Aaris-Sørensen: "Uroksejagt", Skalk nr. 6, 1984, s. 10ff
  • Ole Grøn: "Teltning", Skalk nr. 1, 1988, s. 13f
  • Søren A. Sørensen: "Hytte ved sø", Skalk nr. 3, 1988, s. 25ff
  • Peter Vang Petersen: "Bjørnejagt", Skalk nr. 5, 1991, s. 3ff
  • Poul og Kristian Krabbe: "Vest for Valhal", Skalk nr. 6, 1995, s. 11ff
  • Axel Degn Johansen: "Ikke en sky og ikke en vind!", Skalk nr 2, 2008, s. 8ff


  1. ^ Sarauw, G. F. L. (1903). "En Stenaldersboplads i Maglemose ved Mullerup - sammenholdt med beslægtede fund" [A Stone Age settlement in Maglemose near Mullerup - compared with related finds. Resumé: Études sur le premier âge de la pierre du Nord de l'Europe]. Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie (in Danish) 1903.  A German translation appeared in Prähistorische Zeitschrift in 1911
  2. ^ Med bue, pil og fiskespyd Gyldendals Open Encyclopedia (Danish). Pictures of some Maglemosian tools.