Subneolithic
Subneolithic societies typically adopted some secondary elements of the Neolithic package (such as pottery), but retained economies based on hunting and gathering and fishing instead of agriculture.
The Subneolithic is observed across Scandinavia, north, and north-eastern Europe in the period 5000/4000–3200/2700 BCE,[1] including at sites in Lithuania,[2] Finland,[3] Poland,[4] and Russia.
[9] Pit-houses served as the primary shelters for Subneolithic groups and indicate the growth of social cohesion and community within these cultures.
[11] The pit-house was utilised for the winter, as suggested by the exclusive distribution of burnt bones within the pit house and as well, the lack of migratory bird findings within said fragments.
[13] For coastal Subneolithic groups, fishing held significance not only for sustenance but as well in culture (evident through its representation in folk art).
Scaffolding gangboards to lakes were built and made of materials including tree poles and trunks, boulders, and rows of stones.
[7] The creation of such devices demonstrate significant woodworking skill through the manner with which the wooden slats appeared standardised and the method of having been longitudinally stripped from a tree trunk.
[7] The size of slats, location and steepness of the Szczepanki archaeological site indicate the planks were implemented as creels for keeping live fish.
[7] Made of pine wood, the slats (though more difficult to harvest) offered greater protection against damage by otters due to its resinous taste.
[9] The optimal material was pine trees and as well, bast, wicker and birch bark (utilised for entire sheets of fishing structures as well as strip bindings).
[9] Traditionally, laths were produced in conjunction with splints and before production, pine trunks were dried and occasionally heated (by the oven) within the house.
[9] Lime bast appeared commonly as the binding for trap panels however, this may be considered a Finnish adaptation to the fishing tradition given the presence of other wood types in other geographical contexts – such as the use of bulrush (Scirpus) in Russia's Upper Volga region.
[8] Inhabitants of the southeast Baltic coast at Šventoji and Benaičiai consumed a majority of freshwater fish, followed by seal and terrestrial animals.
[8] Refuse layers at Subneolithic archaeological sites reveal the presence of freshwater fish species, predominantly pike but also rudd, bream, perch, zander, and wels catfish.
[9] Archaeological findings of the Subneolithic group, the Zedmar culture, reveal the consumption of aurochs, wisent, horse, brown bear, wild cat, badger, otter, various small mustelids, hare, hedgehog, forest birds, raptors, big waders, divers, pikeperch, ruffe, eel, and rapfen.
[2] Scraping, whittling, and grinding were methods of surface processing implemented to provide needed shape, typically only to the respective areas rather than the object's entirety.
The presence of rock art has been theorised to be tied to shamanism, due to inclusion of metamorphic imagery, though other hypotheses include hunting magic and totemistic theory.
[10] Commonly occurring on flat rock faces above water, these paintings are made up of red ochre and are often modest, containing 10 (or less) identifiable objects.
[10] Common motifs include: anthropomorphic figures,[10] elk,[10] boats,[10] hand and paw prints,[10] fish,[10] birds,[10] snakes,[10] and abstract symbols.
The comb teeth have been interpreted as the crew on the boat where, in locations such as Scandinavia and Karelia, the motif appears tied to images of ships.
