The Tornio antler story

Abstract

Abstract

This is a story about a 39 000-year-old reindeer antler found in Tornio, southern Finnish Lapland, nearly 60 years ago. It is based on personal experiences and memories that involve Björn Kurtén. It begins with the discovery of the antler and the observations and interpretations made in the 20th century, and is followed by a revision of those interpretations in the light of old and new archaeological and paleoenvironmental data. These suggest that during Lapland's MIS 3 ice-free conditions the antler was shed by a reindeer bull somewhere in the Tornio river valley and was subsequently transported down to its discovery site. Finally, there is a reflection on the effect that the fossil reindeer antler may have had on Kurtén's literary production.