First confirmed finds of baleen whale from Iron Age Scania, Sweden, and their archaeological implications

Summary, in English

This paper presents hitherto unknown finds of baleen whale from Iron Age Scania. Through the peptide-based technique Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS), we provide the first identifications of remains of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeaenglia) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) in Scania and we present the first identification of North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) or bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus). These findings can potentially be used to further the knowledge of the historical presence of these whale species in northern Europe. However, active trade took place during the late Iron Age through well-developed resource networks throughout southern Scandinavia. Consequently, the risk of them having an extra-local origin through long-distance trade diminishes their utility for biogeographical reconstructions. Therefore, these finds first and foremost provide information about the archaeological contexts in which they were found and contribute new knowledge about the possible circulation of whale bones as raw material for bone crafts.

• Author: Stella Macheridis; Erika Rosengren; Samantha Greeves; Paul Eklöv Pettersson; Mats Rundgren
• Department/s: Historical Osteology; The Historical Museum; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (MGeo)
• Publishing year: 2026
• Language: English
• Publication/Series: Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
• Volume: 71
• Issue: May 2026
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105720
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Topic: Archaeology
• Keywords: zooarchaeology; Baleen whale; Iron Age Scandinavia; Scania
• Status: Published
• Project: Scandinavian Iron Age Research Group; Baleen whale in Västra Karaby
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 2352-409X