On the Trail of Preboreal Forest Dwellers: Rediscovering Three Eurasian Moose Antler Axe/Adze Heads in the Collections of the Historical Museum at Lund University, Sweden

Several thousands of osseous artefacts are stored in museum collections, yet older finds often remain overlooked or dismissed as mere typological references with limited research potential. Advances in analytical methods have improved the ability to study these specimens, even when their contextual information is lost. This paper examines three rediscovered antler axe/adze heads from the Historical Museum at Lund University, without known morphological parallels in other Swedish collections. Through radiocarbon dating, ZooMS analysis, and technological- and micro-wear studies, they contribute to our understanding of manufacturing traditions, resource availability and movement in postglacial landscapes. The study brings into focus the interaction between osseous and lithic axes/adzes in Preboreal Scania, Sweden, 9700–8500 BCE, focusing on raw material availability and tool morphology. Archeologically investigated sites from this period are scarce in Scandinavia, and poor preservation of organic materials hinders detailed assessments of chronologies and the relative importance and exploitation patterns of different species. The Eurasian moose (Alces alces) has been proposed as one of the first postglacial species to immigrate, and as a significant prey species for humans. It subsequently decreased substantially in the archaeological record during the Mesolithic. Here we compile faunal data to evaluate patterns of raw material choices. Although axes were typically crafted from lithic materials, osseous implements resembling axes have been found at sites with good preservation in northeastern Europe. The results suggest previously undocumented craft influences among Preboreal forest dwellers of Scania, which may have been of relevance for the continuous change of “becoming Mesolithic”.