Kongemose culture

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Stone Age This box: view • talk • edit
↑ before Homo (Pliocene)
Paleolithic Lower Paleolithic Homo control of fire, stone tools Middle Paleolithic Homo neanderthalensis Homo sapiens out of Africa Upper Paleolithic behavioral modernity, atlatl, dog Mesolithic microliths, bow, canoes Neolithic Pre-Pottery Neolithic farming, animal husbandry, polished stone tools Pottery Neolithic pottery Chalcolithic metallurgy, horse, wheel
↓ Bronze Age

The Kongemose culture (ca 6000 BC– ca 5200 BC) was a mesolithic hunter-gatherer culture in southern Scandinavia, and the origin of the Ertebølle culture. It was preceded by the Maglemosian culture. In the north it bordered on the Scandinavian Nøstvet and Lihult cultures.

The Kongemose culture is named after a location in western Zealand and its typical form is known from Denmark and Skåne. The finds are characterised by long flintstone flakes which were used for making the characteristic rhombic arrowheads, scrapers, drills, awls and toothed blades.

Tiny microliths constituted the edges of bone daggers that were often decorated with geometric patterns. Stone axes were made of various stones, and other tools were made of horn and bone.

The main economy was based on hunting red deer, roe deer and wild boar, supplemented by fishing at the coastal settlements.