The culture is named after Mount Komsa in the community of Alta, Finnmark, where the remains of the culture were first discovered. The term was first used by the Norwegian archaeologist Anders Nummedal (1867–1944) after the discoveries he made on Mount Komsa in 1925. The distinction between a "Komsa" type of stone-tool culture north of the Arctic Circle and a "Fosna" type from Trøndelag to Oslofjord was rendered obsolete in the 1970s. Nowadays both phenomena are ascribed to different types of tools of the same culture.[1][2]
Recent archaeological finds from Finnish Lapland were originally thought to represent an inland aspect of the Komsa culture equally old as the earliest finds from the Norwegian coast. However, this material is now considered to be affiliated with the contemporary Post-Swiderian culture of North Central Russia and the eastern Baltic and thus to represent a separate early incursion into northernmost Scandinavia.[3][4]
The commonly held view today is that the earliest settlement of the North Norwegian coast originated on the western and southwestern coast of Norway and ultimately in the final Palaeolithic Ahrensburg culture of northwestern Europe.[5] The Komsa are thought to have followed the Norwegian coastline when receding glaciation at the end of the last ice age (between 11,000 and 8000 BC) opened up new areas for settlement. It was formerly believed that some elements may have moved into modern-day Finnmark from the northeast, possibly coming from ice-free coasts of the Kola Peninsula.[1][6] However, recent research indicates that a number of the coastal sites in the Varangerfjord area previously attributed to the second phase of the "Komsa" continuum actually represent an early incursion from the southeast (northwestern Russia) and are related to the early Post-Swiderian influx discovered in northernmost Finnish Lapland.[7]
Archaeological evidence indicates that the Komsa culture was almost exclusively sea-oriented, living mainly off seal hunting and being able boat-builders and fishermen. In comparison to the southern Norway's contemporary Fosna variety of this same culture, stone tools and other implements appear relatively crude. This has been explained with a paucity of flintstone in the region.[8]
^Karin Tansem. "Anders Nummedal". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
^People, Material Culture and Environment in the North. Proceedings of the 22nd Nordic Archaeological Conference, University of Oulu, 18–23 August 2004. Edited by Vesa-Pekka Herva Gummerus Kirjapaino
^Tuija Rankama & Jarmo Kankaanpää: The Earliest Postglacial Inland Settlement of Lapland, in: Kamennyi Vek Evropeiskogo Severa, Syktyvkar 2007, edited by A.V. Volokitin, V.N. Karmnov & P.Yu. Pavlov, ISBN5-89606-291-5
^Survey and excavation at Lake Vetsijärvi, Lapland - Tuija Rankama & Jarmo Kankaanpää, in: People, Material Culture And Environment In The North, Proceedings of the 22nd Nordic Archaeological Conference, University of Oulu, 18–23 August 2004, Edited by Vesa-Pekka Herva [1]
^This view was still held in the 80s:[2] The Paleohistory of Circumpolar Arctic Colonization - Janusz Kozlowski and H.-G. Bandi, Arctic 37(4) (December 1984) p. 358372
^Rankama, Tuija & Kankaanpää, Jarmo 2011, “First evidence of eastern Preboreal pioneers in arctic Finland and Norway.” Quartär 2011, 183–209.
^Dr. Vincent H. Malmström. Professor Emeritus of Geography. (PDF). Dartmouth College. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-04. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
Other sourcesEdit
Clark, Grahame (2009) The Earlier Stone Age Settlement of Scandinavia (Cambridge University Press) ISBN978-0-521-10767-9
Olsen, Bjørnar (1994) Bosetning og samfunn i Finnmarks forhistorie (Universitetsforlaget) ISBN978-82-00-21941-5
Olsen, Bjørnar (1997) Fra ting til tekst: Teoretiske perspektiv i arkeologisk forskning (Universitetsforlaget) ISBN978-82-00-22890-5
October 14, 2023
komsa, culture, komsa, redirects, here, other, uses, komsa, disambiguation, komsakulturen, mesolithic, culture, hunter, gatherers, that, existed, from, around, northern, norway, culture, named, after, mount, komsa, community, alta, finnmark, where, remains, cu. Komsa redirects here For other uses see Komsa disambiguation The Komsa culture Komsakulturen was a Mesolithic culture of hunter gatherers that existed from around 10 000 BC in Northern Norway The culture is named after Mount Komsa in the community of Alta Finnmark where the remains of the culture were first discovered The term was first used by the Norwegian archaeologist Anders Nummedal 1867 1944 after the discoveries he made on Mount Komsa in 1925 The distinction between a Komsa type of stone tool culture north of the Arctic Circle and a Fosna type from Trondelag to Oslofjord was rendered obsolete in the 1970s Nowadays both phenomena are ascribed to different types of tools of the same culture 1 2 Recent archaeological finds from Finnish Lapland were originally thought to represent an inland aspect of the Komsa culture equally old as the earliest finds from the Norwegian coast However this material is now considered to be affiliated with the contemporary Post Swiderian culture of North Central Russia and the eastern Baltic and thus to represent a separate early incursion into northernmost Scandinavia 3 4 The commonly held view today is that the earliest settlement of the North Norwegian coast originated on the western and southwestern coast of Norway and ultimately in the final Palaeolithic Ahrensburg culture of northwestern Europe 5 The Komsa are thought to have followed the Norwegian coastline when receding glaciation at the end of the last ice age between 11 000 and 8000 BC opened up new areas for settlement It was formerly believed that some elements may have moved into modern day Finnmark from the northeast possibly coming from ice free coasts of the Kola Peninsula 1 6 However recent research indicates that a number of the coastal sites in the Varangerfjord area previously attributed to the second phase of the Komsa continuum actually represent an early incursion from the southeast northwestern Russia and are related to the early Post Swiderian influx discovered in northernmost Finnish Lapland 7 Archaeological evidence indicates that the Komsa culture was almost exclusively sea oriented living mainly off seal hunting and being able boat builders and fishermen In comparison to the southern Norway s contemporary Fosna variety of this same culture stone tools and other implements appear relatively crude This has been explained with a paucity of flintstone in the region 8 See also EditFosna Late Glacial MaximumReferences Edit a b Norway Britannica Online Karin Tansem Anders Nummedal Norsk biografisk leksikon Retrieved August 15 2016 People Material Culture and Environment in the North Proceedings of the 22nd Nordic Archaeological Conference University of Oulu 18 23 August 2004 Edited by Vesa Pekka Herva Gummerus Kirjapaino Tuija Rankama amp Jarmo Kankaanpaa The Earliest Postglacial Inland Settlement of Lapland in Kamennyi Vek Evropeiskogo Severa Syktyvkar 2007 edited by A V Volokitin V N Karmnov amp P Yu Pavlov ISBN 5 89606 291 5 Survey and excavation at Lake Vetsijarvi Lapland Tuija Rankama amp Jarmo Kankaanpaa in People Material Culture And Environment In The North Proceedings of the 22nd Nordic Archaeological Conference University of Oulu 18 23 August 2004 Edited by Vesa Pekka Herva 1 This view was still held in the 80s 2 The Paleohistory of Circumpolar Arctic Colonization Janusz Kozlowski and H G Bandi Arctic 37 4 December 1984 p 358372 Rankama Tuija amp Kankaanpaa Jarmo 2011 First evidence of eastern Preboreal pioneers in arctic Finland and Norway Quartar 2011 183 209 Dr Vincent H Malmstrom Professor Emeritus of Geography Norway Before the Vikings PDF Dartmouth College Archived from the original PDF on 2012 02 04 Retrieved August 15 2016 Other sources EditClark Grahame 2009 The Earlier Stone Age Settlement of Scandinavia Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 10767 9 Hansen Lars Ivar and Bjornar Olsen 2004 Samenes Historie Fram til 1750 Cappelen Akademisk ISBN 978 82 02 19672 1 Olsen Bjornar 1994 Bosetning og samfunn i Finnmarks forhistorie Universitetsforlaget ISBN 978 82 00 21941 5 Olsen Bjornar 1997 Fra ting til tekst Teoretiske perspektiv i arkeologisk forskning Universitetsforlaget ISBN 978 82 00 22890 5 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Komsa culture amp oldid 1169440625, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
