Researchers from the University of Bergen have uncovered the remains of a 4,000-year-old child in a cave site on Norway’s west coast.

“The find offers rare and important insight into the first agricultural population in Norway, and we hope that analyzes of the bone material will help us understand what these people looked like and where they originated”, says Knut Andreas Bergsvik, Professor of Archaeology at the University Museum of Bergen and project leader of the INDICAVE research project.
The discovery was made in Skipshelleren, a large rockshelter in an inner fjord area near Bergen. The site, naturally protected from the elements, has been used by humans for over 7,500 years.

Unearthing Norway’s Cave Dwellers
The excavation is part of the INDICAVE project, where archaeologists from the universities of Bergen and Tromsø are investigating caves and rockshelters along the Norwegian coastline. The goal is to better understand who the cave dwellers were and how they used these environments.
“The preservation conditions in dry rockshelters such as Skipshelleren are unique,” Bergsvik explains. “We can find well-preserved bone remains of both humans and animals, giving us valuable insights into the cave dwellers diet and way of life.”

Unexpected New Discoveries
Skipshelleren was previously excavated in 1931, and researchers have assumed that the site was fully explored. However, recent investigations of the former excavation documents revealed an unexcavated area.
“Incredibly, deep under the old excavation backfill we discovered an area that had never been excavated,” says Bergsvik. “Here we found thick deposits of soil layers with finds from several thousand years of settlement habitation, including thousands of animal bones, tools made of bones and stone and pottery fragments.”

Rediscovery of a Child’s Grave
Among the most significant findings are the remains of a child’s grave dating back 4,000 years, from the later stone age. Preliminary analyses of the skull indicate that the child was between 2 and 4 years old at the time of death.
Parts of the skeleton were first discovered in 1955 by a local girl, Bjørg Dæmring Berge. During the recent excavation she assisted the researchers in locating the original findspot, leading to the recovery of additional remains.
“This confirms that Skipshelleren was used both as a dwelling and as a burial site during the Stone Age,” Bergsvik says.

Scientific Analysis to Reveal New Insights
The new excavation has yielded approximately 40,000 animal bones, which will now be analyzed alongside tools made of stone and bone. The oldest finds date back 7000 years before present. Researchers will also examine soil samples, including botanical remains, dating samples, and ancient DNA (aDNA), which will offer insight into how the rockshelter was used and inhabited over time.
Further DNA and isotope analyses of the child’s remains are expected to provide new knowledge about early farming populations in Norway. “These analyses may tell us what these people looked like and give clues about their origins,” says Bergsvik.

“Overall, the new archaeological material will contribute to broader knowledge about human life along the Norwegian coast in prehistoric times,” says Bergsvik.