Europe's Last Hunter-Gatherers | Pitted Ware Culture
Dan Davis History・2 minutes read
The pitted ware culture in the novel "Thunderer" depicts a distinct maritime hunter-gatherer group in southern Scandinavia from 3,500 to 2,300 BC, genetically distinct from earlier populations, who coexisted with and were eventually absorbed by the battle axe culture. Despite assumptions, DNA analysis reveals they were not funnel beaker people but a unique population descended from mesolithic Scandinavian hunter-gatherers, influencing the later Nordic Bronze Age and modern Scandinavian DNA.
Insights
- The pitted ware culture, also known as the seal people, thrived in southern Scandinavia from 3,500 to 2,300 BC, utilizing maritime resources extensively and maintaining a unique genetic lineage separate from other populations.
- Despite initial assumptions, DNA analysis reveals that the pitted ware people were distinct from funnel beaker populations, descending from mesolithic Scandinavian hunter-gatherers, and eventually merging with the battle axe culture, leading to their absorption by 2,300 BC and the emergence of the Nordic Bronze Age.
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Recent questions
Who were the pitted ware people?
Maritime hunters in southern Scandinavia.
What cultures coexisted with the pitted ware people?
Battle axe culture and corded ware people.
How did the pitted ware people navigate the seas?
Using log boats across various waters.
What tools did the pitted ware people use for hunting?
Bows, arrows, harpoons, nets, and slate knives.
What led to the decline of the pitted ware culture?
Absorption by the battle axe culture.
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Summary
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"Pitted Ware Culture: Maritime Hunters of Scandinavia"
- The pitted ware culture in the novel "Thunderer" represents the historical people known as the pitted ware culture, existing from about 3,500 to 2,300 BC in southern Scandinavia.
- The pitted ware people were maritime hunters who used distinctive pottery and were genetically distinct from earlier populations, thriving along the coasts of Sweden, Danish islands, Jutland, and Norway.
- Contrary to assumptions, DNA analysis shows that the pitted ware people were not funnel beaker people but a unique population descended from mesolithic Scandinavian hunter-gatherers.
- The novel is set in the early 3rd millennium BC when the corded ware people merged with and replaced the funnel beakers, driving conflict in the story.
- The pitted ware culture coexisted with the battle axe culture from about 2,800 BC and was eventually absorbed by them by 2,300 BC, leading to the end of their way of life.
- The later Nordic Bronze Age represents a fusion of the pitted ware culture and the battle axe culture, with modern Scandinavians carrying DNA from their pitted ware ancestors.
- The pitted ware people, known as the seal people, were skilled maritime hunters who hunted seals, traded seal meat and oil, wore seal skin clothing, and utilized marine resources extensively.
- They navigated the seas using log boats, demonstrating mastery of the waters across the Baltic, Skaggerak, and the Kattegat, with a deep relationship with the sea and its animals.
- The pitted ware people sustained a high population through marine resources but also hunted inland, utilizing bows, arrows, harpoons, nets, and slate knives, with a complex belief system involving spirits and shamanism.
