Stone Age artifacts left behind by Swedish nomads have been unearthed on the floor of the Baltic Sea.
Divers exploring the bay of Hanö off the coast of Sweden have uncovered a treasure trove of artifacts dating back more than 11,000 years. Made from both stone and bone fragments, the items exhibit impressive levels of preservation thanks to the lack of oxygen and abundance of peat-based sediment on the ocean floor.
"What we have here is maybe one of the oldest settlements from the first more permanent sites in Scania and in Sweden full stop," said Professor Björn Nilsson who lead the project. Among the finds was a harpoon carved from animal bone, flint tools, rope, horns and other items that had once been discarded in to the water.
"Around 11,000 years ago there was a build up in the area, a lagoon or sorts... and all the tree and bone pieces are preserved in it," said Nilsson. "If the settlement was on dry land we would only have the stone-based things, nothing organic."
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