Exchange and the role of import to Western Norway in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze age

Abstract

In western Norway, a total of about 1800 flint, bronze and gold objects from the Late Neolithic period (LN) and Early Bronze Age indicate a significant importation from Jutland. The distribution of the LN flint objects seems to correlate with population density. There is no distinct fall‐off in number with increasing distance from Jutland, indicating incipient directional exchange. The distribution of the bronze and gold objects from BA 2 and 3 indicates ‘central places’ in Jaeren and N. Karm⊘y and directional exchange. The contact zone was probably the Thy district in Jutland, where numerous graves from period 3 indicate an affluent society. This affluence may, at least in part, have been due to the exchange with western Norway.