Scandinavians Were Building Advanced Boats Way Before the Viking Era

The Neolithic Pitted Ware Culture (PWC), which thrived in Scandinavia around 3500–2300 BC, has long fascinated archaeologists due to its reliance on marine resources, particularly seals, while surrounding cultures shifted towards farming. New research suggests that the PWC may have used skin boats for their long-distance trade, travel, and seal hunting, offering insights into the advanced maritime technology of prehistoric Scandinavia.

The Pitted Ware Culture and Its Maritime Focus

According to a new study published in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology:

“hunter-gatherer societies of the PWC were highly adapted to maritime environments, and they fished, hunted, travelled, and traded across great distances over water. Exactly what boat types they used, however, is still an open question.”

Originating from the east, the PWC settled in modern-day Sweden, Denmark, and Finland during the Early and Middle Neolithic periods. Named for their distinctive pottery marked by deep, circular pits, the PWC was notable for their reliance on the sea, explains a Phys.org report on the study.

Unlike other Neolithic communities in Europe, which gradually embraced agriculture, the PWC remained focused on hunting and fishing. This marine specialization required efficient boats to navigate the Baltic Sea and its surrounding waterways, yet few boat remains have been found.

Most Neolithic cultures in Europe utilized dugout canoes made from hollowed-out tree logs for river and lake travel. Archaeological evidence confirms that the PWC used these canoes, though their small size and fragility made them unsuitable for open-sea navigation. The larger question for researchers has been how the PWC conducted long-distance voyages across open waters, such as the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits, given the limitations of dugout canoes.

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Kingikmiut Eskimos paddling an umiak, a boat made of animal skins, during a whale hunt, Bering Strait, Cape Prince of Wales. (Susan R. Bernardi/Public Domain)

The Skin Boat Hypothesis

Dr. Mikael Fauvelle and his colleagues, in the study published in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology, propose that the PWC may have used skin boats alongside their dugout canoes.

These boats, constructed from animal hides stretched over wooden or bone frames, would have been more capable of handling long-distance and open-sea travel. Skin boats are known to have been used by other indigenous cultures, such as the Inuit, and provide greater buoyancy, flexibility, and durability compared to dugout canoes.

One reason for the lack of direct evidence of skin boats in Scandinavia is their poor preservation in archaeological contexts. Unlike wooden dugouts, which can survive in anaerobic conditions in lakes and bogs, skin boats decay rapidly. Therefore, researchers rely on indirect evidence, such as potential boat frames made of antlers and bones, along with rock art, tools, and faunal remains, to support the theory.

Indirect Evidence for Skin Boats

Several clues point towards the possible use of skin boats by the PWC. For example, boat frames made of reindeer antlers, recovered from northern Germany, and bone frames found in Sweden may have been used for sewing skins into boat structures. These artifacts date from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic and even into the Bronze Age, suggesting that skin boat technology was known and used in the region.

Another piece of evidence comes from the rock art found in northern Scandinavia, some of which dates to the same period as the PWC. The images depict scenes of seal hunting, fishing, and whaling, all activities central to PWC life. More intriguingly, the boats shown in these panels resemble Umiak skin boats used by the Inuit in the Arctic. These boats, made from animal hides stretched over wooden frames, were ideal for long-distance sea travel. The rock art shows figures standing in semi-translucent boats, a feature typical of skin boats when backlit by sunlight.

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Rock art Image of potential skin boat transporting two reindeer. Photo credited to Martin Kristoffer Hykkerud. (Photo from the Verdensarvsenter for Bergkunst—Alta Museum/ Journal of Maritime Archaeology)

Additionally, the rock art depicts boats with animal-head-like bows, reminiscent of the harpoon rests used on Umiaks. These rests, designed to hold fishing tools, would have given the boats the appearance of having animal heads when viewed in profile. This visual detail supports the hypothesis that PWC vessels may have been similar in design and function to Umiak skin boats.

Seal Oil, Tools, and the Role of Seals

The faunal remains and tools recovered from PWC sites further reinforce the idea of skin boat usage claim the study authors. Seals were a critical resource for the PWC, providing not only food but also raw materials for making clothes, tents, and possibly boats. The PWC hunted seals in large numbers, and their bones, along with fish remains, dominate the faunal assemblages at PWC sites. While seal bones were not commonly used for tools, their hides and oil were likely critical for waterproofing skin boats.

Scrapers, essential for processing hides, are abundant at PWC sites. Awls, which were likely used for sewing skins together, were also found and are too large for clothing manufacture, suggesting they were used for larger projects like boat or tent construction. Seal oil, found in significant quantities, would have been indispensable for waterproofing skin boats. Skin boats required frequent reapplications of oil to maintain their waterproof qualities, providing an explanation for the vast amounts of seal oil found at PWC sites.

Interestingly, while seal oil remained in use throughout the Neolithic, it was eventually replaced by pitch in the Bronze Age, a material necessary for waterproofing plank-sewn boats. This shift in boat technology likely accompanied broader social and technological changes, including the adoption of agriculture and new trade networks.

A New Perspective on PWC Maritime Activities

The hypothesis that PWC groups used skin boats provides a compelling explanation for their extensive seal hunting and long-distance maritime travel. Dugout canoes, while useful for inland waterways, would have been inadequate for open sea navigation. Skin boats, on the other hand, would have enabled the PWC to hunt seals on remote islands and navigate to trade with neighboring cultures.

Top image: A Baidara, a traditional leather skin boat of the Chukchi and Eskimos.          Source: Andrei Stepanov/Adobe Stock

By Gary Manners