Coastal Landscapes of the Mesolithic Human Engagement with the Coast from the Atlantic to the Baltic Sea

• Other Authors: Schülke, Almut (Editor)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Taylor & Francis 2020
• Subjects: Archaeology by period / region; Landscape archaeology; Late Mesolithic; Cal BP.; Cal Bp; Early Mesolithic; Coastal Hunter Gatherers; Maritime Hunter Gatherers; Mesolithic Sites; Middle Mesolithic; Southeastern Norway; Oslo Fjord; Mesolithic Period; Late Mesolithic Sites; Late Mesolithic Period; Radiocarbon Dates; Baltic Sea Basin; Early Neolithic; Eastern Norway; Land Uplift; Coastal Hinterland; Shell Middens; Western Norway; Coastal Landscapes; Shoreline Displacement; Mesolithic People; Coastal Sites
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

Coastal Landscapes of the Mesolithic: Human Engagement with the Coast from the Atlantic to the Baltic Sea explores the character and significance of coastal landscapes in the Mesolithic - on different scales and with various theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. Mesolithic people were strongly connected to the sea, with coastal areas vital for subsistence and communication across the water. This anthology includes case studies from Scandinavia, western Europe and the Baltic area, presented by key international researchers. Topics addressed include large-scale analyses of the archaeological and geological development of coastal areas, the exploration of coastal environments with interdisciplinary methods, the discussion of the character of coastal settlements and of their possible networks, social and economic practices along the coast, as well as perceptions and cosmological aspects of coastal areas. Together, these topics and approaches contribute in an innovative way to the understanding of the complexity of topographically changing coastal areas as both border zones between land and sea and as connecting landscapes. Providing novel insights into the study of the Mesolithic as well as coastal areas and landscapes in general, the book is an important resource for researchers of the Mesolithic and coastal archaeology.