Lyngby tools

prehistoric tool

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

The Lyngby tools are prehistoric implements made from reindeer antler, dating back to approximately 8000 BCE. These tools are named after a Danish site where they were discovered and represent an early form of adz, created by sharpening a brow tine of the antler.1

The Ertebølle industry, from which the Lyngby tools are sometimes associated, was a Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) tool industry in northern Europe (circa 9000–3500 BCE). This industry is characterized by the use of chipped stone tools by hunters and fishers. While primarily Mesolithic, the Ertebølle industry also incorporated some Neolithic skills, such as pottery and limited agriculture.2

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hand tool
Ax and adz
… implements have survived as the Lyngby tools, named from a Danish site of perhaps 8000 bce.
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… implements have survived as the Lyngby tools, named from a Danish site of perhaps 8000 bce.
Read More