Off shore pioneers: Scandinavian and Patagonian lifestyles compared in the Marine Ventures project

Some of the earliest evidence for foraging and sailing on open seas can be found among the Early Mesolithic (9500–8000 BC) hunter-gatherer communities of coastal Scandinavia. Although organic remains are scarce, hundreds of coastal sites bear witness to an elaborate marine lifestyle. The settlements privilege natural harbours, and are frequently located on islands—suggesting off shore foraging as well as the use of seaworthy vessels. Many instances of early marine adaptations are likely to have existed around the world but most remain undiscovered, as they are located on coastlines that were submerged in the 120m global sea level rise that followed the melting of the Late Pleistocene ice-shields. After the modern shoreline stabilised (5000–2000 BC), elaborate marine traditions can be found almost everywhere, from high latitudes to tropical seas, and it is tempting to believe that marine exploitation and the necessary knowledge, abilities and technology reach back to the cradle of humankind.