Introducing the Trøndelag Man from the Stone Age
In 1916, during the upgrade of a road leading to Fausland farm on Hitra Island, workers upgrading the road with gravel from the shore of Barmfjorden’s innermost part stumbled upon human bones amidst the sand and stones.
These bones belonged to a man around 25 years old, living at the end of the Stone Age, some 4,000 years ago.
Ancient Tragedy Unearthed
Archaeologist Birgitte Skar from NTNU University Museum speculates, “We believe he perished by drowning. At the time of his death, the sea level stood 12.5 meters higher than current levels, and the location where he was found would have been submerged at a depth of 4 meters, with some parts of the skeleton remarkably well-preserved, suggesting swift covering by shell sand on the seabed shortly after his demise.
In addition to the skeletal remains, a dagger and an arm guard were recovered. The arm guard, a rectangular bone piece with two perforations, was likely fastened to the wrist of the hand holding a bow. Its purpose was to shield the wrist from the impact of the bowstring when shooting arrows.
“These artifacts suggest he may have been a warrior,” Skar notes. She further adds that determining whether the drowning resulted from combat or was accidental is impossible. What is evident is that the Hitra man inhabited a tumultuous era. Until then, most people lived as hunter-gatherers, with agriculture only fully taking root in Norway towards the end of the Stone Age—coinciding with the Hitra man’s era.
“Although elements of agriculture were introduced earlier in southern and eastern Norway, its establishment in central and northern Norway, particularly along the coastal regions, occurred during this period,” Skar explains.
“We believe that agriculture was introduced by migrants seeking land, possibly through conflict. Therefore, we anticipate there were violent encounters between indigenous inhabitants and newcomers,” Skar elaborates.
Birgitte Skar Explores the Impact of Newcomers
The newcomers brought new knowledge, including animal husbandry and agriculture, as well as a different societal structure. “They inhabited hierarchical societies, possessed distinct religious beliefs, and had extensive networks reaching into Europe,” Skar continues.
This influx of knowledge precipitated significant political, economic, and social transformations in Norway.
Many uncertainties remain about this pivotal era in Scandinavian history, and research efforts persist. The Hitra man, alongside numerous other skeletal findings, contributes to this ongoing investigation.
Currently, his DNA is undergoing analysis at the Lundbeck Foundation Center for Geogenetics, situated at the University of Copenhagen.
“At NTNU University Museum, we’ve also been conducting isotope analysis, shedding light on the Hitra man’s dietary habits and the likelihood of significant geographical migrations during his lifetime,” explains Skar.
Skar adds, “We’ve discovered that the majority of his diet consisted of terrestrial foods, indicating that despite being found on Hitra—an area submerged at the time—he primarily consumed land-based resources.”
Reconstruction of the Hitra Man’s Appearance
Using various factors, the Hitra man’s appearance has been reconstructed at NTNU University Museum. Skeletal measurements suggest he stood around 169 cm tall, while dental wear indicates an age of approximately 25 years at the time of his death.
Genetic analyses of individuals from the same period with similar DNA profiles have provided insights into the probable hair, skin, and eye color of the Hitra man.
Excitement surrounds the ongoing research into the Hitra man and the society in which he lived, with further discoveries eagerly anticipated.
Read the original article on: Phys Org
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