Arrowheads from the late stone age. | Photo: Åge Hojem - NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet cc by-sa.

Norwegian history | the Stone age | Norway

The Stone age people were master hunters, fishers, and gatherers. The lived with the seasons and followed the prey.

The Stone age | 10,000 – 1800 BC

When the ice finally melted, plants and animals settled more long-term – and with them came the first humans. They were hunter-gatherers and lived a nomadic life, following the prey and the seasons. First, they populated the emerging coastline, then they moved further inland.

Around 2400 BC, a section of the population took up farming and created more permanent settlements, possibly as a result of people migrating in from the south. The hunter-gatherers and the farmers lived side-by-side, and utilised different parts of the land and its resources. Tools and weapons from this early era were made of stone, wood, or animal bones.

Norwegian history timeline

The latest ice age
115,000-10,000 BC
The Stone age
10,000-1800 BC
The Bronze age
1800-500 BC
The Iron age
500 BC-AD 1050
The High middle ages
AD 1050-1350
The Late middle ages
AD 1350-1537
The Early modern period
AD 1537-1814
Norway reborn as a sovereign state
AD 1814
Norway in union with Sweden
AD 1814-1905
Full independence at last
AD 1905
Prosperity, war and depression
AD 1905-1940
World War 2 and occupation
AD 1940-1945
The post World War 2 era
AD 1945-1970
Transformation and neoliberalism
AD 1970-1990
Technology and globalisation
AD 1990-today

BC = before Christ | AD = anno domini = after Christ
Main source: Store norske leksikon – snl.no

LA Dahlmann | history timeline

Homestead | the old farm and the hour of twilight | Norway

homestead and farm

The hour of twilight is when the daylight starts to disappear – before it is completely dark. In the old Norwegian farming society, this was a time for rest.

Homestead | memories from Værøy in Lofoten | Norway

homestead and farm

The wild ocean world of Værøy in Lofoten, Norway, was the birthplace of Mimmi Benjaminsen – born in 1894. Here are some of her childhood memories.

The old Norwegians needed no money | Norway

farming community

The old Norwegian farming society was a self-sufficient and balanced world. Coins and notes were all but an alien concept.

Norwegian history | technology and globalisation | Norway

history timeline

With a growing population and public sector, Norway pushed through significant reforms in several areas: public structure and organisation, welfare, health care, tax, policing, public services, and more.

Queen Maud of Norway | her background and childhood years

norwegian royal history

Queen Maud of Norway was born in London in 1869, as Princess Maud of Wales. Her grandmother was none other than the formidable Queen Victoria.

Ice export | a booming business for more than a century | Norway

landscape

From the early 1800s and well into the 1900s, Norway was a significant exporter of natural ice. But how did they prevent the ice from melting?

Fjords | gateways to mystery | Norway

landscape

Once upon a time in the distant past, imagine yourself sitting in a small boat, facing this mighty gateway into the bowels of the land.

Norway | on the coastal path along the Oslofjord

landscape

Whether it be on a rainy day – or a beautiful summer’s day like this one – the coastal paths take us through some pleasing stretches of Norwegian scenery.

Horse history in the land of the Vikings vol 1 | Norway

domesticated animals

The horse settled in the Scandinavian landscape after the last ice age. Let us meet this majestic animal – and follow in its footsteps.

The last workhorse at Sandaker farm | Norway

domesticated animals

When I was a boy, it was the workhorse that pulled the heaviest weight in agricultural life. And this had been the reality for as long as anyone could remember.

Moose calf saved from drowning in 1939 | Norway

wild animals

Magne Løvstuen and his family adopted this moose calf after saving it from drowning in Lake Mjøsa.

Norwegian Buhund | viking dog with an ancient history | Norway

domesticated animals

The first Norwegian Buhund breed-standard came in 1926, based on a dog that had evolved, lived, and worked with the Norwegians since time immemorial.

Food history | the difference between mead and beer | Norway

food history

Mead and beer are both alcoholic drinks known from Norwegian history. The Norwegians call them «mjød» and «øl». But do you know the difference between the two?

Food history | milk from the domesticated animals | Norway

food history

For thousands of years, milk from the domesticated animals has had a dominant position in the Norwegian diet. People used milk from the cow, the reindeer, the sheep and the goat.

Food history | the beginning | Norway

food history

When humankind first appeared in the Norwegian landscape – sometime after the last ice age – the search for food was their primary motivation.

Oslo | is the capital city of Norway

towns and cities

Oslo is the capital city of Norway. It was founded in AD 1048 by the Viking king Harald Hardråde. Historically, the city is also known as Christiania or Kristiania.

The mountain safety code | always be prepared | Norway

general facts

The majestic Norwegian mountains can be treacherous – and they steal human lives every year. Study the Norwegian mountain code – and be prepared for your next journey.