A Late Mesolithic ritual using fishing tools at Kanaljorden (Sweden), 5700 Cal BC

International audienceThe present paper discusses the potential value, as part of a mortuary deposit or as ritual implements, of31 arms, tools and objects made of bone and antler dated to the Late Mesolithic that were found togetherwith several human rests in the Kanaljorden site (Sweden). The investigation examines the relationshipbetween this assemblage and the archaeological structure, ¡made of large stone-boulders where all theremains have been discovered¡, and gives results on the industrial component in terms of typology andtechnology. On one hand, the presence of complete bone arrow-heads and miniature armatures supportsthat part of the worked material has well been deposited or used there perhaps for a ritual purpose, buton the other hand, that all harpoon-heads, leister-prongs, heavy-duty tools and objects, ¡because theseare mostly completely worn-out¡, suggest conversely, together with some discarded waste of production,that the assemblage is mainly similar in nature to other equivalent series from any dwelling sites.Additionally, if some pieces show direct analogies with remains from Strandv€agen, a site which is locatedjust across the shore of the Motala River, they also show direct comparisons with sites located on theopposite shore of the Baltic Sea that display a Kunda related-cultural material. Besides, the exceptionalartistic engraving displayed by an antler tool evokes a concrete Kongemose ambiance. As it is not usuallyoccurring in the region so far, the Kanaljorden bone implements appear therefore relatively importantfor later enabling a better characterization of the Late Mesolithic of Scandinavia on its Baltic facade