ABSTRACT
At the onset of the Norwegian Mesolithic, 9500 bc, the receding ice was still causing the land to lift and the sea level to drop. Hence, the coastal population lived in a relatively unstable and shifting world, although such developments vary between regions. The changing landscape, it is argued, prompted a desire for social nodal points, that is, places of social significance anchoring one’s sense of belonging, and thus representing social stability. The Middle Mesolithic establishment and long-term exploitation of two large adze quarries on the western coast exemplify the argument. Their continual exploitation over millennia slowly transformed these into something more than simply sources for high-quality lithic raw materials; they became monumental sites of a visual and tangible ancestral presence. Hence, the quarries were places people engaged with physically, but the persisting exploitation also entangled the sites in social meshes. In turn, this ensured and maintained their role in the social landscape. The western quarry practice is contrasted with an eastern practice and the variation is explained by different coastal developments and relationships between the regions of south Norway.
