| Summary
| | Prehistoric Scandinavia is the period before the Middle Ages. It is also the period where there are no written sources; instead we must look at and interpret the archaeological finds.
Traces of the past are still in the landscape, but most of the source material lies, or had lain hidden under the ground.
Unlike the Middle Ages where most of the source material is archived, we must go to the museums to get to know the prehistoric age. |
Sumary
Most parts of the present Denmark and Scania have been cultivated and built-up since the ice began to withdraw around 15.000 years ago. In the Sound region countless visible traces from this early period in history have been preserved.
Thanks to the traditional interdisciplinary collaboration between natural science/archaeology and history in Denmark and Sweden you end up with a fair general view of our joint past.
A deeper understanding of this, however, does demand a general view of which terms are udually used about prehistoric times. It is usually divided into three main periods:
-Stone Age
-Bronze Age
-Iron Age
But huge changes occur within the many thousand years. In order to understand these changes we use these terms in Denmark at present:
| Early Stone Age /Hunter Stone Age: | About 12.000 BC - about 4.000 BC.
| | The Maglemose Culture | About 9.000 BC – 6.800 BC.
| | The Kongemose Culture | About 6.800 BC – 5.400 BC.
| | The Ertebøl Culture | About 5.400 BC – 3.900 BC. |
| Late Stone Age/Peasant Stone Age: | About 4.000 BC - 1.800 BC.
| | Early Neolithic Age | About 3.900 BC. - 3.300 BC.
| | Mid Neolithic Age | About 3.300 BC. – 2.800 BC.
| | Single Grave Age | About 2.800 BC. – 2.400 BC.
| | Late Neolithic Age | About 2.400 BC – 1.700 BC |
| Bronze Age: | About 1.800 BC. – 500 BC.
| | Late Bronze Age | About 1.700 BC. – 1.000 BC.
| | Early Bronze Age | About 1000 BC. – 500 BC. |
| Iron Age: | About 500 BC. – 1100 AD.
| | Pre-Roman Iron Age | About. 500 BC. - 0
| | Roman Iron Age | About. 0 – 450 AD.
| | Teutonic Iron Age | About 450 AD. – 750 AD.
| | Viking Age | About 750 AD.– 1100 AD. |
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