«Blodspor» fra Flendalen – distribusjonen av jaspis, nettverk og mobilitet i Sørøst-Norge i eldre steinalder

In this study we investigate the use and distribution of jasper, a distinctive red quartz that served as a key resource for stone tool production in parts of inland Norway and Sweden during the Mesolithic. The sole known source in this region is the Flendalen quarry in Trysil, Innlandet County. Drawing on results from all excavations undertaken at the Flendalen quarry and studies of jasper from settlement sites beyond the immediate region, this article presents a comprehensive provenance study. Based on examinations involving dynamical technological classification, find contexts, and geochemical classification and provenance analysis of jasper utilizing pXRF and Raman spectroscopy, we argue that the quarry was established as early as 8000 BC. The discovery of jasper transported 200–300 km from Flendalen to coastal sites around the Inner Oslofjord and Larvik, as well as to inland locations in Oppdal and Lesja, reveals widespread distribution and an extensive network during the Middle Mesolithic. This network later contracted, with most finds concentrated within a 75 km radius of the quarry. We interpret this pattern as linked to changes in settlement organization and potentially to shifts in social significance

Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Historical and Archaeological Studies · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies