Stone Age people stocked Norway lake with brown trout

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence that Stone Age people deliberately introduced brown trout into a remote Norwegian mountain lake at least 7,000 years ago, creating what researchers describe as the world's oldest documented human translocation of fish. The discovery, based on ancient wooden fishing traps excavated from Lake Tesse in southern Norway, indicates that Mesolithic hunter-fisher-gatherers were actively managing their environment to secure future food supplies long before the advent of farming in the region.

The key evidence emerged after a hiker noticed rows of wooden poles protruding from the exposed bed of Lake Tesse in 2022. The lake has served as a hydropower reservoir since the 1940s, with water levels dropping each spring. Archaeologists returned in 2023 to excavate the site before the water rose, uncovering multiple fish traps. Analysis of 113 wood samples identified 73 separate poles used in the structures. The best-preserved trap featured a circular chamber about 3.5 meters wide, with a fence designed to funnel fish inside. Cut marks and split wood indicated deliberate construction.

Radiocarbon dating placed the earliest traps around 5000 BCE, with the...