Subneolithic

Long ago, people lived near water.

They did not farm crops. Instead, they caught fish and hunted animals. They made tools from bone and wood.

These people lived in one place. They built houses in the ground. These were called pit houses.

They used many tools to catch food. They used nets and spears. They even made wooden cages to keep fish alive.

They also made pretty things. Some people made art on rocks. Others made clay pots to hold things. It was a busy way to live.

The Subneolithic was a time in the past. It happened in northern Europe between 5000 and 2700 BCE.

These people were different from their neighbors. Many neighbors began to farm. But Subneolithic groups still hunted and fished. They often lived in one place. These people built pit houses. These were homes built into the ground. Some houses were even rectangular.

Fishing was a big part of life. They used many smart ways to catch food. They made nets and wooden spears. They even built fences in the water to trap fish. They made wooden cages to keep fish alive. They used pine wood for these cages. This helped keep otters away.

They ate many things from the land and sea. They ate fish like pike and cod. They also hunted animals like elk and seal. To save food for winter, they dried fish. They used sun and air to dry it. They also made clay pots. These pots helped them in their daily lives.

The Subneolithic was a special time in the past. It was a bridge between two other eras. Some people call it a transition period. It sat between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic ages. Most people in the Neolithic age began to farm. However, Subneolithic groups did not farm yet. They kept hunting and gathering for food. They also relied heavily on fishing. They often lived in one place for a long time. This way of living is called being sedentary.

Living in one place changed how they built homes. Many groups built pit-houses. These were shelters built into the ground. Most Finnish pit-houses were circular. But a site called Kuorikkikangas changed that idea. Archaeologists found a rectangular pit-house there. It was about 5 by 6.5 metres inside. It had two entrances and two fireplaces. This might mean two families lived there together. They likely used these cozy homes during the winter.

Fishing was a very important part of their lives. They were experts at catching fish in many ways. Some used passive fishing with wooden fences. These were called lath screen weirs. They would direct fish into traps or nets. Other people used active fishing methods. They used spears and tools called leisters. These leisters had wide wooden prongs. They were perfect for catching eels. In Finland and Šventoji, people used these tools.

Subneolithic people used many different tools. They were very skilled at working with wood. In Poland, they made gangboards for lakes. These were large structures made of poles and stones. They even made wooden fish cages. These cages used thin wooden slats. They used pine wood for these cages. Pine has a resinous taste. This helped keep hungry otters away from the fish. They also made leaf-shaped paddles for boats. One paddle from Szczepanki dates to 4200 BCE.

Their diet was very diverse and healthy. They ate animals from the land and the water. People at Šventoji ate mostly freshwater fish. They also ate seal and land animals. They caught fish like pike, perch, and cod. They also hunted elk, boar, and even bears. To make sure they had food in winter, they stored it. They used pits in house floors for storage. They might have dried fish in the sun or air. This helped them survive the cold months.

The Subneolithic is an archaeological term used to describe transitional cultures. These groups lived between the Mesolithic and the Neolithic periods. They occupied parts of Scandinavia and north-eastern Europe. This era lasted from roughly 5000/4000 BCE to 3200/2700 BCE. While Neolithic neighbors began practicing agriculture, Subneolithic societies mostly relied on hunting, gathering, and fishing. However, they adopted some Neolithic elements, such as the use of pottery. Most of these groups were sedentary, meaning they lived in permanent settlements rather than moving constantly.

Sedentism, or staying in one place, was a major feature of this period. In coastal areas like Ostrobothnia, groups moved toward more permanent lifestyles. This change happened because certain environments provided abundant resources. For example, estuary fishing provided a steady food supply. Staying in one place also allowed for collective labor. This cooperation was necessary to exploit complex resources effectively. As populations grew, these groups established more permanent dwellings and secondary structures.

One of the most important types of shelter was the pit-house. These were dwellings built partially into the ground. For a long time, researchers thought Finnish Stone Age pit-houses were always circular. However, excavations at the Kuorikkikangas site in Finland changed this view. Archaeologists found a rectangular pit-house dating to 2600–2300 BCE. It measured approximately 5 by 6.5 meters internally. The house featured two entrances and two separate fireplaces. This layout suggests that two households might have shared the space. It also indicates a division of labor between men and women.

Fishing technology was highly advanced and central to Subneolithic culture. Groups used both passive and active fishing methods. Passive fishing involved using lath screen weirs. These were fences made of wooden slats used to direct fish into traps or nets. In some regions, people used nets alone or attached them to these screens. Active fishing required more direct effort. Hunters used spears and tools called leisters. A leister is a multi-pronged spear used for catching specific animals. In Finland and Šventoji, leisters had broad wooden prongs designed specifically for catching eels.

Woodworking skills were essential for creating fishing gear. In Poland, the Zedmar culture used wood to build gangboards. These were scaffolding structures made of tree trunks, poles, and stones. Some gangboards were built across shores, while others floated, fixed to lake bottoms. They also created fish cages using standardized wooden slats. These slats were stripped longitudinally from tree trunks. At the Szczepanki site, researchers found that these slats were made of pine. Pine wood is resinous, which helped protect the live fish from being eaten by otters.

Dietary patterns show that Subneolithic people exploited many different habitats. At Šventoji, stable isotopic analysis of human bones reveals a diet heavy in freshwater fish. They also ate seal and various land animals. Common fish included pike, rudd, bream, perch, zander, and wels catfish. Marine species like flounder and cod were also consumed. On land, they hunted elk, boar, beaver, and even brown bears. The Zedmar culture in Poland had an even wider variety. They ate aurochs, horse, wild cat, badger, and many types of forest birds.

To survive the winter, these groups developed food storage economies. They used pits in house floors and above-ground warehouses to keep food. Evidence for this comes from salmon remains found at various sites. These remains often consist of vertebrae and ribs but lack head bones. This suggests that people were storing specific meat-bearing portions of the fish. They likely used methods like sun-drying, air-drying, smoking, or fermenting. These techniques allowed them to maintain a steady food supply during harsh seasonal changes.

Subneolithic technology also included specialized weaponry. They crafted harpoons and points from osseous materials, which means bone or antler. These materials were often sourced from elk or other large mammals. To make these tools, they used techniques like whittling, scraping, and grinding. They also used a "groove and splinter" technique to shape the points. These tools were vital for both hunting terrestrial animals and catching fish in deep water. This combination of skilled woodworking and bone tool production shows a complex and resourceful society.