Reindeer hunters in the late glacial in Eastern Baltic Region

Abstract

During the late Glacial in the territory of East Baltic region after retreat of the glaciers, the main hunting object was reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.). Baltic region specimens would considerably help in the reconstruction of the origin and migration routes of the extant wild reindeer populations in northern Europe. Proposed migration routes for the subspecies of the wild reindeer from Užnemunė and Kaliningrad district in two directions: northwards and northeastwards crossing the Lithuanian rivers reaches near already existent wades and shoals formed by the Nemunas River scouring out through moraine hills and backward. On both sides of the Nemunas River, at the shoals, most campsites and finding places of the mainly Swiderian cultures occurred. In 16 localities of the territory of Lithuania and radiocarbon dates from antlers of reindeer between 12 085 and 10 435 yr BP were collected. The majority of radiocarbon dating results show that reindeers colonized the eastern Baltic region quite rapidly and possibly all at once – 13400–12300 yr. BP. An axe of Lyngby type made of the antler of reindeer was recovered in 2014 in the Parupė settlement of Biržai District. It was determined that reindeer hunters made the Parupė axe in the Late Allerød what is confirmed by the radiocarbon dating: 11145 to 11045 cal. BC. This is the first find of this kind uncovered in the territory of Lithuania. The artefacts of Lygby type recovered in Lithuania and in the Baltic area are typologically, technologically and chronologically identical and coeval with the artefacts discovered in South-West Europe.