A new study examines prehistoric life in southern Denmark and concludes that fishing and hunting did not stop when agriculture became established in the region. Researchers report that agriculture reaches the coast of southern Denmark around 4000 BCE, marking a major shift in subsistence practices. However, the evidence indicates that people continued to rely on marine and wild resources, including fishing for food and hunting, even after farming was introduced.
The study’s findings challenge the common idea that the rise of agriculture abruptly replaced hunting and fishing. Instead, the researchers describe continuity in food-getting strategies across the transition period, suggesting that agricultural communities also maintained traditional foraging practices rather than fully abandoning them.
The work is published in PLOS One. The authors include Daniel Groß of the Museum Lolland-Falster in Denmark and Sofie Folsach Hellerøe of Aarhus University, along with colleagues. Overall, the study emphasizes a gradual and mixed approach to subsistence during the spread of agriculture along the Danish coast.
