Lithic stories of broken relations after the Storegga tsunami in Mesolithic western Norway?

Figures & data

Table 1. Overview of the duration of Norwegian Mesolithic time periods and the phase names colloquially applied in Norwegian archaeology (based in particular on Bjerck 1986, 2008; Olsen 1992). The tsunami happened ca 6150 BC/8200 BP.

Time period	Incorporated phase names/characteristics	uncal BP	calBC
Early Mesolithic	Pioneer phase	10 000–9000	9200–8200
Middle Mesolithic	Early microblade tradition	9000–7500	8200–6400
Late Mesolithic	Late microblade tradition	7500–5200	6400–4000

Figure 1. Map with place names and regions mentioned in the text. (Illustration: A.J.Nyland).

Table 2. List of studied sites, their dates, and name of assigned region. They are sorted more or less chronologically within region, the light green rows are dated before, the dark green after, and sites with more phases (before and after) are white. All focus areas contain sites with sites and/or phases with dates to before and after the tsunami.

5710–5640 Reg.	County/region	Site name	14C-date (cal BC)	Before/after the tsunami
1	Sunnmøre, Møre and Romsdal	Dysvikja	7100–6500, 7200–6600 and 6500–6300	Before
	Møre and Romsdal	Meisingset lok 1, fase 1	7000–6000	Before
	Møre and Romsdal	Henda	6640–6000, 5700–5200	Before/after
	Møre and Romsdal	Lok 62 Grunnvika	6690–6000	Before
	Møre and Romsdal	Sætergarden	6067–5760, 5986–5726	After
	Møre and Romsdal	Lok 50 Søndre Steghaugen	6000–5200	After
	Møre and Romsdal	Kvernberget 4	5980–5400	After
	Møre and Romsdal	Kvernberget 6	5980–5700	After
	Møre and Romsdal	Meisingset lok 1, fase 2	5875–5667, 5839–5671, 5208–4797	After
	Møre and Romsdal	Meisingset lok 2	5215–5041, 5208–4999,	After
2	Sogn and Fjordane	Båtvik II	7519–6829, 7340–6535, 6568–6080, 6501–5670, 5216–4841	Before/after
3	Nordhordland	Flatøy 1	5526–5075	After
		Vindenes 55	5745–5373	After
		Revarvika 6	6639–6246, 6638–6263	Before
		Gjeddevatn 1	5290–5040	After
		Skiparviken	5230–5051, 5081–4944	After
4	Sunnhordland	Svortland 4	7020–6655, 6430–6260	Before
		Grunnavåg 3, S	5842–5718	After
		Grunnavåg 3, N	‘Late Mesolithic’	After
5	Nord-Rogaland	Lindøya 1b	7060–6820	Before
		Botten 1	6830–6650	Before
		Lindøy 4	5800–5670, 5710–5560	After
		Fosnaneset Ib	5710–5615, 5710–5640	After
6	Sør-Rogaland/ Nord-Jæren	Sola site 10 (Melå)	7919–7170	Before
		Hå gamle prestegård	7610–6690	Before
		Lego II	6700–6370	Before
		Nedre Kvinnesland 4	6465–6395, 6650–6510	Before
		Storhiller	6340–5723	After
		Tjora	6076–5982	After
		Sola sentrum, A3	6410–6247; (6061–5980, 5944–5926); 5720–5631	After

Figure 2. Map with the location of studied sites and demarcated regions (Illustration: A.J.Nyland).

Figure 3. Middle Mesolithic cores and blades from Lego, Rogaland C, platform preparation cores from Båtevik II (Vestland). (photo and collage: H.Damlien).

Table 3. Summary of regional specific changes and continuity in the investigated regions by 5000 BC.

Presence technological concepts by 5000 BC	Regions (N – S)
	1	2	3	4	5	6
Middle Mesolithic Pressure blade technology	X	X	X	X	X	X
Increase of microblade production (%)	X	X	X	X	X	X
Handle core tradition clearly/dominantly present	X	X
Largest increase of bipolar technique	X	X
New concept: small one-sided platform cores on flint nodules					X	X
Increased raw material variation	X	X	X	X
Economisation of raw material	X	X	X	X	X	X

Figure 4. Handle core from Lok.50, Nyhamna, Aukra, Møre. (Photo and collage: H.Damlien).

Figure 5. A characteristic new concept emerged by 5000 BC in the southwestern region. (Photo: H.Damlien).

Figure 6. Swimming porpoises carved during the late Mesolithic at Averøy, Møre. (Photo: A.J.Nyland).

Bjerck, H. B. 1986. “The Fosna-Nøstvet Problem. A Consideration of Archaeological Units and Chronozones in the South Norwegian Mesolithic Period.” Norwegian Archaeological Review 19 (2): 103–122.

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Bjerck, H. B. 2008. “Norwegian Mesolithic Trends.” In Mesolithic Europe, edited by G. Bailey and P. Spikins, 60–106. Cambridge: Cambridge University press.

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Olsen, A. B. 1992. Kotedalen - en boplass gjennom 5000 år. Fangstbosetning og tidlig jordbruk i Vestnorsk steinalder: Nye funn og nye perspektiver. Bind I. Bergen: University of Bergen.

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