Sedentary people or short time events? High resolution radiocarbon chronology from a Late Mesolithic dwelling site in Western Norway

Abstract

A Late Mesolithic (LM: 6500–4000 BCE) site with two dwellings and a midden were investigated on the coast of Western Norway. Occupation took place at repeated intervals on this site for nearly 2000 years, and 69 radiocarbon samples provide insight into the occupation patterns of a hunter gatherer fisher (HFG) settlement. In addition to traditional Bayesian modelling, we implemented an activity event analysis that enables us to measure the statistical consistency of datings and provide a proxy for the minimum number of events (MNE) necessary to account for the radiocarbon record of the site. The MNE perspective allows us to project the intermittent occupation pattern expected of an HFG settlement, offering a more nuanced perspective on the extent of sedentism in the late Mesolithic.