Cryptic Message from Ancestors?

With the extension of the railway along the west coast of southern Sweden, archaeological excavations at Tagerup in the Landskrona district have revealed the unique 8 500 year settlement. The City Department of Culture plans to exhibit the unique findings at Landskrona Museum. The abundant findings, which originate over a very long period of time, provide the opportunity to mirror mankind's cultural development during the Stone Age. For a long time archaeological research has regarded the hunters of the Mesolithic period as a homogenous group. The findings allow us to refute earlier theories promoting such a stereotype picture of our ancestors.

Tagerup is situated on a sandy hillside at the meeting place of the Saxan and Braan rivers. During the Atlantic period the sea reached up to this point, while the two rivers provided the site with fresh water. It was thus an ideal settlement with ample food at hand. Between 6 500 - 4 500 BC Tagerup was an all-the-year-round settlement. Unique conditions have kept all material extremely well preserved, even wooden objects and baskets of plaited grass.

Houses, food scraps, tools and graves tell the story of ancient life. The combination of dwellings, waste deposit and grave-field being gathered at one and the same site makes it possible to follow the Mesolithic cultural landscape's development and changes throughout over 2 000 years. It is even possible to follow a noticeable change in mentality through the unique chance to study people who have lived under similar conditions and at the same place for such a long period of time.

The permanent exhibition has been planned for 2002. Life at Tagerup will be presented on exciting displays with an extensive collection of objects. The differences in the cultures will be emphasised. The proud, correct, calm, resource-aware and aesthetically-aware Kongemose people will be contrasted with the stressed, mass-producing, functionally-aware, territorially defensive and conflict-prone Ertebölle people. The graves, including a twin grave, will be displayed in their own room where the spiritual life will also be in focus. It is probable that the Kongemose and Ertebölle peoples both shared a belief in the life after death. Burial gifts and rituals suggest a preparation for and assistance in the afterlife. Sacrificial rituals were performed in an attempt to control the forces of nature. Amongst the findings there is an ornamented axe-handle of red deer horn. The ornaments are unique and no parallel to others in Northern Europe. Could this be an over 8,000 year old cryptic message from our ancestors?