How did people on the European Plain live before agriculture became widespread?

Before agriculture became widespread on the European Plain, human populations lived as hunter-gatherers, relying on hunting, fishing, and foraging for their subsistence. Following the retreat of glaciers in the postglacial period, these groups settled in widely scattered areas along seacoasts, rivers, and lakeshores of the then-heavily wooded landscape.1

Their way of life was characterized by the use of stone and bone tools. Archaeological evidence, such as that from the Maglemosian culture, reveals that these people utilized flint axes and adzes for woodworking, as well as composite tools like arrows and harpoons tipped with microliths. They also crafted fishnets from bark fiber and used various implements made of antler, bone, and wood, including dugout canoes.12

Because foraging required significant land area and mobility to avoid exhausting local resources, these groups typically lived in small, seasonally occupied settlements. Their housing was generally simple and portable, consisting of huts or shelters made from available plant materials or animal skins. Social structures were likely organized into small bands or extended family units, maintaining connections through wider kinship networks.23