Paleolithic Period (ca. 12,000 BCE)
With the end of the last Ice Age around 12,000 BCE, Norway's coastline emerged from glaciation, attracting the first human settlers following reindeer herds. These early inhabitants were nomadic hunter-gatherers, drawn to the rich resources of the coastal areas, particularly sealing, fishing, and hunting. By around 9300 BCE, people had settled as far north as Magerøya. This period marks the first evidence of human presence in Norway, with migration following the retreating glaciers.
Mesolithic Period (ca. 10,000–4000 BCE)
As the ice continued to recede from 8000 BCE, settlements expanded along the entire Norwegian coastline. The Komsa culture in Troms and Finnmark and the Fosna culture in the south represent early Mesolithic societies that thrived through coastal hunting and gathering. By 7000 BCE, the Nøstvet culture replaced the Fosna, coinciding with warmer climates that fostered forestation and new species of mammals for hunting. Technological advancements appeared around 4000 BCE in the north, including slate tools, earthenware, skis, sleds, and large skin boats. These innovations indicate a shift towards more permanent settlement patterns and diversified survival strategies.
Neolithic Period (ca. 4000–1800 BCE)
Around 4000 BCE, agriculture emerged in Norway, particularly in the Oslofjord area, marking the start of the Neolithic period. The introduction of farming technology from southern Scandinavia led to the domestication of animals like pigs, cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as the cultivation of oats and barley. By 2900–2500 BCE, farming practices had spread as far north as Alta, and the arrival of the Corded Ware culture brought new tools, weapons, and an Indo-European dialect, from which the Norwegian language would later develop.
This gradual transition from nomadic hunting to more settled farming communities signified a major shift in the lifestyle and economy of Norway's early inhabitants, laying the foundation for the development of more complex societies in later periods.