Archaeologists in March 2026 identified a large, man-made belt of stones, believed to be an ancient whale trap, discovered underwater off the coast of what European country?

Archaeologists in March 2026 announced a significant underwater discovery off the coast of western Norway, identifying a large, man-made belt of stones believed to be an ancient whale trap. This remarkable find, located across a narrow strait near Øygarden, close to the city of Bergen, sheds new light on medieval hunting traditions in the region. The structure, stretching over 25 meters across the seabed, is thought to be the remains of a thousand-year-old system designed to trap whales in coastal waters.

The discovery offers rare physical evidence of a hunting practice previously known primarily from historical texts. Marine archaeologist Elling Utvik Wammer of the Norwegian Maritime Museum suggests that this site could be the first confirmed underwater archaeological proof connected to descriptions in the ancient Gulating Law, which is the oldest surviving record of Norwegian legal traditions. Researchers believe the stone belt served as part of a barrier system, likely consisting of timber and ropes weighted with stones, to block the narrow channels and trap whales driven into the bay.

This method of driving whales into enclosed bays was a known hunting strategy in western Norway and is specifically mentioned in the Gulating Law, dating back to around the 900s. The intentional arrangement of the stones, some partially stacked, strongly indicates human construction rather than natural formation. This unusual underwater archaeological site provides invaluable insight into the ingenuity and resourcefulness of ancient Norwegian communities in their pursuit of marine resources.