Danish Mesolithic Period Antler Axe

Ertebølle Culture, c. 5400–3950 BC, Denmark

A magnificent and exceedingly rare antler axe fragment, discovered in the peat bogs of Denmark and dating to the Mesolithic Ertebølle culture, c. 5400–3950 BC. Crafted from red deer antler, this longer fragment features a drilled shaft hole, and its obliquely cut edge may once have held an inset flint core axe, making it a composite tool of both organic and lithic elements.

The Ertebølle culture thrived around the Limfjord region in Northern Jutland, known for its rich coastal and inland environments. Settlements were typically located near beaches, rivers, and sheltered bays, where communities lived primarily through fishing, hunting, and gathering. The Ertebølle people were adept at navigating inland waters in paddled dugout canoes, and their legacy is most visibly marked by the monumental kitchen middens—huge shell heaps primarily composed of oysters from the once-vast beds found in Denmark’s shallow fjords.

The Ertebølle toolkit reflected a high degree of craftsmanship. Flint tools—including flake axes, knives, burins, chisels, and arrowheads—were often complemented by implements fashioned from bone, antler, and wood. Antler tools, such as this axe, were particularly valued for their durability and versatility. The drilled socket suggests this piece served as a haft for a stone or flint blade, creating a powerful and efficient cutting instrument.

Ertebølle hunters used every part of the animals they captured. Bones from feet, limbs, and ribs—as well as antlers—were repurposed into clubs, harpoons, axes, and fish spears. Many such objects, lost into lakes and buried in cold, anaerobic sediments, have been remarkably preserved in Denmark’s bogs, only coming to light during peat cutting in the early 20th century.

The Ertebølle culture was eventually succeeded by the Funnelbeaker culture around 4100 BC, marking the dawn of agriculture and permanent settlement in the region. However, this antler axe remains a powerful testament to the ingenuity and adaptability of Denmark’s Mesolithic peoples—masters of both land and water, stone and bone.

Good condition. Fragmented as shown. Visible cutting and grinding marks. Age-related wear, fractures and chip. Repaired. Remnants of peat bog. Lovely brownish grey patina. Size approx. 13,4cm x 4,1cm x 3,0cm and 8,6cm x 3,0cm x 2,6cm. 

Provenance: Danish private collection.

References and further reading:

Europe's First Farmers – T. Douglas Price, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Cambridge University Press, 2000 (http://assets.cambridge.org/97805216/62031/ sample/9780521662031ws.pdf)

Inland Ertebølle Culture: the importance of aquatic resources and the freshwater reservoir effect in radiocarbon dates from pottery food crusts, Bente Philippsen & John Meadows, Internet Archaeology (doi:10.11141/ia.37.9)

Prehistoric period (until 1050 AD)/ The Mesolithic period, Nationalmuseet i København (https://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-mesolithic-period/)

How Bone Technology points to Cultural Lineages in Prehistory? New Insights from Danish Late-and Post-Glacial Weapons’ Heads, Éva David, Lasse Sørensen, Peter Petersen, Open Access Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology, 2022. (https://hal.science/hal-03598512/document)