![]() Scandinavia in this study includes the modern countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. ![]() "This book is about the prehistory of Scandinavia, from the first inhabitants to their Viking descendants. The material evidence of these past societies-arrowheads from reindeer hunts, megalithic tombs, rock art, beautifully wrought weaponry, Viking warships-give vivid testimony to the ancient humans who once called home this often unforgiving edge of the inhabitable world". An engrossing and comprehensive picture emerges of change across the millennia, as human society evolves from small bands of hunter-gatherers to large farming communities to the complex warrior cultures of the Bronze and Iron Ages, which culminated in the spectacular rise of the Vikings. Constructed similarly to the author's previous book, Europe before Rome, Ancient Scandinavia provides overviews of each prehistoric epoch followed by detailed, illustrative examples from the archaeological record. In this book, Doug Price provides an archaeological history of Scandinavia-a land mass comprising the modern countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway-from the arrival of the first humans after the last Ice Age to the end of the Viking period, ca. The prehistoric remains of human activity in Scandinavia-much of it remarkably preserved in its bogs, lakes, and fjords-have given archaeologists a richly detailed portrait of the evolution of human society. The first humans did not arrive until sometime after 13,500 BCE. The area was essentially unoccupied until the end of the last Ice Age when the melting of huge ice sheets left behind a fresh, barren land surface, which was eventually covered by flora and fauna. The impressions left by these visits have been powerful, fostering a huge appreciation for the people of the past and their accomplishments."Although occupied only relatively briefly in the long span of world prehistory, Scandinavia is an extraordinary laboratory for investigating past human societies. I have traveled substantially in the larger region, visiting archaeological sites and touring different areas. I now live much of the year in Copenhagen. I have spent eight full years in Denmark since 2001 with my Danish wife and daughter. I have been conducting archaeological research on the last hunters and the first farmers in Scandinavia since 1978, excavating at a number of different places in eastern Denmark. P R E FA C E WHY SHOULD an American archaeologist write a book on the prehistory of Scandinavia? It’s a fair question, but there’s a reasonable answer. 364 Runes, Rune Stones, and Picture Stones.161 Neolithic Settlement in Western Skåne.161 Corded Ware/Single Grave/Battle Axe Culture.156 Summary: The Transition to Agriculture.61 Environmental Changes in the Early Holocene. ![]() 33 The Late Paleolithic of Northern Europe.31 Origins in Western and Central Europe.Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file at the Library of Congress ISBN 978–0–19–023197–2 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. © Oxford University Press 2015 All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. ANCIENT SCANDINAVIA An Archaeological History from the First Humans to the Vikingsġ Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford.
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