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Social Complexity in the Mid-Holocene Northeastern Bothnian Gulf

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

André Costopoulos ,
Samuel Vaneeckhout ,
Jari Okkonen ,
Eva Hulse ,
Ieva Paberzyte  and
Colin D. Wren
André Costopoulos
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Canada
Samuel Vaneeckhout*
Affiliation:
Archaeology Laboratory, Oulu University, Finland
Jari Okkonen*
Affiliation:
Archaeology Laboratory, Oulu University, Finland
Eva Hulse*
Affiliation:
Anthropology Department, University of Buffalo, USA
Ieva Paberzyte*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Canada
Colin D. Wren*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Canada
*
[email: [email protected]]
[email: [email protected]]
[email: [email protected]]
[email: [email protected]]
[email: [email protected]]
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Abstract

There was a period of reduced mobility, increased population density, and social complexity among hunter–gatherers in northern Bothnian prehistory between about 4050 and 2050 cal BC. We argue that this was made possible by a combination of physical and social factors that include the shortening of the coastline due to isostatic land uplift, the reduction of distances between major river mouths along the Bothnian coast, and the local variability in rate of shoreline displacement at individual river mouths.

Au courant de la préhistoire de la Bothnie septentrionale, à peu près entre 4050 et 2050 cal BC, existait une période de mobilité réduite ainsi que de densité de population et de complexité sociale croissantes. Nous soutenons que ceci était rendu possible par une combinaison de facteurs physiques et sociaux qui incluaient un raccourcissement du littoral dû à la surrection isostatique, la réduction des distances entre les embouchures principales le long de la côte bothnienne et la variabilité locale par rapport au déplacement de la côte près des embouchures des rivières individuelles. Translation by Isabelle Gerges.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

In der Vorgeschichte des Nordostens des Bottnischen Meerbusens, zwischen ungefähr 4050 und 2050 cal BC, existierte eine Periode verminderter Mobilität, erhöhter Bevölkerungsdichte und sozialer Komplexität. Wir behaupten, dass dies durch eine Kombination physischer und sozialer Faktoren, einschließlich der Verkürzung der Küstenlinie aufgrund iostatischer Landhebungen, der Verminderung der Entfernungen zwischen den großen Flussmündungen entlang der Bottnischen Küste und der lokalen Variabilität der Stärke der Küstenlinienverlagerung an bestimmten Flussmündungen ermöglicht wurde. Translation by Heiner Schwarzberg.

Keywords

social complexityHoloceneBothnian Gulfenvironmental changecomplexité socialeHolocèneGolfe de Bothniechangement environnementauxsoziale KomplexitätHolozänBottnischer MeerbusenUmweltveränderung
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , 2012 , pp. 41 - 60
Copyright
Copyright © European Association of Archaeologists 2012 

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