Two sets of human footprints that date back to some 5,000 years and some Stone Age fishing gear were recently discovered in a dried up fjord, or inlet, on the island of Lolland in Denmark. The Archaeologists have found many fishing fences earlier as well in the region, but these footprints are the first of their kind to be discovered in Denmark.
Terje Stafseth, an archaeologist with the Museum Lolland-Falster, who helped excavate the ancient prints said, “This is really quite extraordinary, finding footprints from humans. Normally, what we find is their rubbish in the form of tools and pottery, but here, we suddenly have a completely different type of trace from the past, footprints left by a human being”.
Stafseth and his colleagues have been racing against the clock to collect artifacts and other historical objects from this region in Denmark before they disappear forever. It has been more than a year that they have involved themselves in this initiative. This is also in consideration of the fact that in the coming year or so, construction is scheduled to begin on the Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link. This link is an underwater tunnel that will connect Lolland with the German island of Fehmarn.
Lars Ewald Jensen, the Museum Lolland-Falster’s project manager for the Fehmarn Link project, stated that the construction project has left the archaeologist with little time to look out for more discoveries as this tunnel will be built with several above-ground facilities. These facilities will be constructed in an area that covers up dried fjords. It also includes the area where the footprints and fishing equipment have been found.
Jensen further told Live Science that the dried up inlets, as well as other areas of Lolland, are a good place to look for artifacts. It is widely believed that these areas were not dry in the past so much so that these fjords were used to be the backdrop for Stone Age people’s daily water activities, such as fishing and offering sacrifices to the sea.
