Skateholm Mesolithic Cemetery
Mesolithic (7000–5000 BCE)·Ertebølle / Kongemose — Mesolithic hunter-gatherer·🇸🇪 Scania, Sweden
About
About Skateholm Mesolithic Cemetery
Iconic Late Mesolithic cemetery complex on former coastal lagoon in Scania, southern Sweden, with two cemeteries (Skateholm I and II) totalling ~65 graves (c.6000–5000 BCE). Burials include single and double graves, seated burials, dog burials and children's graves with red ochre and antler grave goods; adjacent settlement with pit-huts. Skateholm revolutionized understanding of Mesolithic social complexity and is a type site for hunter-gatherer archaeology.
Why it mattersKey Ertebølle / Kongemose — Mesolithic hunter-gatherer site in Scania.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Chronology of monument phases and reuse
- 02Source of stone and transport logistics
Theories
- 01Territorial marker for farming community
- 02Collective burial and ancestor ritual focus
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 6000–5000 BCE
- Period
- Mesolithic (7000–5000 BCE)
- Culture
- Ertebølle / Kongemose — Mesolithic hunter-gatherer
- Purpose
- Mesolithic hunter-gatherer cemetery with unique dog burials and hut remains
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 6000–5000 BCE
Initial construction and primary use
20th century
Modern archaeological investigation and conservation
On the ground
Structures & features
55.3830° N · 13.4830° E · 20 m · 2 mapped features
Skateholm Mesolithic Cemetery Main Chamber
structurePrincipal megalithic feature at Skateholm Mesolithic Cemetery, well-preserved structure with diagnostic finds
55.3835° N · 13.4835° ESkateholm Mesolithic Cemetery Secondary Feature
structureSecondary megalithic element illustrating site complexity and reuse
55.3826° N · 13.4838° E