Positioned in the Baltic Sea and under Danish sovereignty, Bornholm Island boasts a rich cultural and archaeological history with early settlements dating back to 9,000-8,000 BC. The Stone Age inhabitants of Bornholm held the sun in high reverence, essential for their agricultural pursuits and crop growth.
Recent research has uncovered intriguing evidence of the rituals practiced by these early inhabitants. A study published in Antiquity on January 16, 2025, indicates that around 2900 BC, during a period of volcanic eruption, the Stone Age people made ritual offerings in the form of stones engraved with sun and field motifs. This volcanic activity produced fog that obscured the sun, significantly impacting the community by preventing sunlight from reaching their agricultural fields.
Documentation of the Volcanic Eruption
Researchers documented the volcanic eruption around 2900 BC, correlating it with evidence obtained from ice core samples in Greenland, also part of Denmark. This eruption likely had a profound impact on the Stone Age inhabitants of Bornholm, as the resulting lack of sunlight affected their primary food source, leading to a period of cooling.
Ritual Offerings
In response to this catastrophic event, which they did not have the knowledge to understand, the Stone Age people turned to ritual offerings. They created what are referred to as "sun stones," flat pieces of oil shale engraved with solar motifs. These stones may symbolize fertility or serve as offerings, representing a plea for the return of the sun.
A significant number of these stones, numbering in the hundreds, have been discovered at the site of Vasagård West, dating back to around 2900 BC.
In addition to facing the absence of sunlight caused by the volcanic eruption and subsequent climate changes, evidence also suggests that these early inhabitants were afflicted by deadly diseases.
All of this evidence led researchers to propose that the Stone Age peoples of Bornholm offered sun stones as a form of sacrifice or ritual offerings.
