During the northern European Mesolithic, new types of objects were ornamented with different geometric motifs. Many examples, however, are stray finds and their dating is poorly understood. The authors present new AMS radiocarbon dates for ornamented artefacts from Pomerania that contribute to an absolute chronology of Mesolithic art and allow for new consideration of connections between cultural groups in the western Baltic region. A baton, featuring an anthropomorphic figure, dates to the end of the Boreal period; three other objects date to the early Atlantic period, revealing a combination of regional and local innovations. The results demonstrate the value of absolute dating of stray finds for refining knowledge of wider cultural trends.

The slopes of the Tågerup promontory in western Scania contain one of the largest known Mesolithic settlements that has ever been excavated in Scandinavia. The Tågerup site displays a unique combination of huts and houses, graves and wooden implements, flints and bones which constitute a 1500-year-long Mesolithic occupation sequence, dated 6500–5000 cal BC. During that time, there were gradual but far-reaching changes in settlement structure and organization, the use of the landscape, flint technology and food procurement strategies.