7,000-Year-Old Fish Traps Reveal Earliest Known Human Translocation of Trout

In Lake Tesse, a mountain lake in Norway, archaeologists have unearthed fish traps dating back 7,000 years, revealing that hunter-gatherers purposefully introduced brown trout to waters that lacked fish. This discovery, detailed in the journal Antiquity on July 20, marks the earliest evidence of human fish translocation. Radiocarbon dating indicates that the oldest traps were constructed around 4950 B.C.E. to 5000 B.C.E., while a younger trap was made from trees cut down between 2669 B.C.E. and 2657 B.C.E. The presence of these traps implies ongoing maintenance over thousands of years. Co-author Axel Mjærum from the University of Oslo emphasizes that this showcases early humans' ability to alter their environments prior to the advent of agriculture. The trout likely served as a dependable food source during unsuccessful reindeer hunts, with researchers suggesting they were transported in leather waterskins, potentially in several stages. Situated 2,800 feet above sea level, Lake Tesse was a thriving trout habitat until it was transformed into a hydropower reservoir in the 1940s. The traps were revealed when water levels dropped in 2022, leading to the excavation of wooden structures, with over 100 wood samples analyzed. This study indicates that Stone Age societies exhibited greater complexity and foresight in resource management than previously recognized.