Nøstvedt culture

Nøstvedt farm is located in Ås municipality. Within the property of this farm, on the homestead Sjøskogen, remains of Stone Age settlements around 4000 – 5000 years BCE have been found. The settlement of the fishermen and hunters who lived in the area have been named the Nøstvedt culture and the culture cover large parts of eastern, southern and central Norway.

Stone Age settlement at Nøstvet

The settlements are mainly beach-bound, which means that people have often lived right at the water's edge in selected areas. We therefore know that there is great potential for finding Stone Age settlements of Nøstvet character in areas where the height above sea level is where the sea level was in Nøstvet times, i.e. approx. 50 m above sea level.

Sjøskogen is located by Nøstvet in Ås, and is the settlement that has given its name to the period. Since 1880, various objects have been brought in from this settlement. In Ås, more than 150 localities have been registered with finds of Nøstvet character. In the Stone Age, these were fjord arms that were very favorable in relation to fishing and settlement.

There is a sign to the residence at the entrance to Vinterbrosentret.

The Nøstvet culture
The Nøstvet period coincides with the last part of the Old Stone Age - the period before farming begins here in Eastern Norway. Norway, The culture is characterized by distinctive stone axes, Nøstvetøkser.

The axes were probably attached to a wooden shaft, which was then, among other things, used to hollow out log boats.

The settlements are mainly beach-bound, which means that people have often lived right at the water's edge in selected areas.

Small groups lived together and subsisted on hunting, fishing and what they could gather. Hunting land mammals provided meat, but was not necessarily everyday food.

The illustration has been prepared by Akershus county council and the texts by Ås Historielag.