Bornholm is rich in finds that can tell us how people on Bornholm lived in prehistoric times, from c.12,000 B.C. to 1000 A.D. The Stone Age to the Viking period.
Archaeologists on Bornholm work on interpreting the finds. We also have many amateur archaeologists. Therfore a great deal is found that can tell us about Borholmers of the past. The artefacts are often similar to those found in other areas around the Baltic Sea. In particular, there has been close contact with Skåne.
The first signs we have of people on Bornholm are flint tools from around 10,000 B.C. (showcase 1). At that time Bornholm was not an island, being still joined to the European mainland! Flint is found on Bornholm by and large only as Baltic ball flint - small round flintstones. The Maglemose period on Bornholm, from 8,500 - 6,800 B.C., is known for its microlites - very small flint arrowheads made from this ball flint. Examples can be seen in showcase 2. Bornholmers became farmers around 3,900 B.C. They gradually began to cultivate corn and domesticate animals - but they continued to go hunting. Many arrowheads made of imported flint are found from the Middle Stone Age. New tools were developed, including those used to build houses with. Now it was necessary to settle in a fixed place, in order to take care of animals and crops.
Some of the oldest and largest stone age houses in northern Europe have been found on Bornholm. Here you see a New Stone Age house from Limensgård's fields in Aaker. A large photograph - in the exhibition - shows what it looked like when we found it. Only the remains of the posts that supported the roof were left. A house stood for about 30 years before its posts rotted.
The way that people lived together gradually changed when they became farmers. Now they could gather and store bigger stocks of supplies. Differences developed between individuals. Some became more powerful than
others.