New Delhi: The submerged remains of an ancient stone age settlement has been discovered just off the southern Swedish coast, according to reports.
Among the artefacts found are a 9,000-year-old pick axe sculpted from elk antlers, and eight fish traps made of braided hazel rods.
Researchers believe that the findings reveal that the settlers enjoyed 'good lives' with no dearth of food and a favourable climate, however, due to the rise in sea levels at the time, their lagoon environment sank.
The oldest known stationary fish traps were discovered six years ago in northern Europe by divers, therefore, researchers at the Lund University have revealed the site to be a stone age relic.
As per a report in the Daily Mail, researchers say that 9,000 years ago, this was an old lagoon environment where Mesolithic humans spent parts of the year.
It lies deep below the surface of the Hanö Bay in the Baltic Sea just off the coast at Havang, and contains a trove of ‘spectacular finds.’
Discoveries such as those described in the new paper, published to Quaternary International, provide invaluable insight on the lives of early humans, as many of these sites remain hidden in the sea, the report said.
The elk antler pick axe found at the site is nearly 9,000 years old and is covered in ‘very interesting inscriptions’ and fish traps made of braided hazel rods dating back 9,000 to 8,500 years were found all over the area, and were used to ‘catch lots of fish.’
The Daily Mail says that the team has drilled into the seabed and radiocarbon dated the core to find out more about its history.
Along with this, they’ve examined pollen and diatoms, and produced a bathymetrical map to reveal depth variations.
(Video courtesy: LundUniversity)
