Editing Nordland (section)

== History ==
[[File:Hide Boats Stone Age Norway 1.png|thumb|left|upright|Prehistoric rock drawings showing boats, 1-2 from [[Skjomen]], 3-4 from [[Rødøy Municipality]], the other from [[Frosta Municipality]].]]

There is evidence of human settlement in Nordland as far back as 10,500 years ago, about as early as in southern Norway. These [[Stone Age]] people lived near the coast, often on islands and typically along [[strait]]s near the open sea, with a rich provision of marine resources. Such archeological evidence has been found on [[Vega (island in Norway)|Vega]], in the [[Leirfjorden]], and along the [[Saltstraumen]]. There are at least 15 locations with prehistoric [[Rock carvings in Norway|rock carvings]] in Nordland, from Helgeland in the south to [[Narvik (town)|Narvik]] in the north (see [[Fosna-Hensbacka culture]]).

Some of the oldest houses known in Norway were excavated on Langhågan on the island [[Sanna, Træna|Sanna]] in [[Træna Municipality]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=Experience Træna - Island Kingdom on the Arctic Circle - Træna kommune |url=http://www.trana.kommune.no/nordland/trana/tranak.nsf/id/07AA0F0D3827E568C1256E37003591D5 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210172457/http://www.trana.kommune.no/nordland/trana/tranak.nsf/id/07AA0F0D3827E568C1256E37003591D5 |archive-date=2012-02-10 |access-date=2006-12-06}}</ref> the oldest house was oval, {{convert|6|m}} by {{convert|4.5|m}}, and is dated to 4000 BC. A {{convert|65|m}} long stone paved "[[trail]]"  from the house down to a small harbour, today {{convert|23|m}} above sea level, is still visible.

The 4,600-year-old [[rock drawings]] at [[Rødøy Municipality]], which depict a man on skis holding a stick, is the oldest known reference of skis being used. The location is somewhat surprising, as this island has unreliable snow cover, and the Scandinavian climate was warmer in the Stone Age.
This rock drawing was used as a pictogram in the [[Lillehammer (town)|Lillehammer]] [[Olympic Games]] in 1994.

The first agricultural culture has been dated to the [[Bronze Age]]. This culture left large burial cairns close to the sea, for instance in [[Steigen Municipality]] and [[Vestvågøy Municipality]], and the northernmost location is around [[Harstad Municipality]] in southern Troms. These locations have significant areas of lowland suited for agriculture, they are close to the sea and they have many natural harbours.
[[File:Dønna marble phallus.jpg|thumb|left|The marble phallus on [[Dønna (island)|Dønna]].]]

The oldest remains of a boat ever found in Norway were discovered in a [[bog]] in [[Sømna Municipality]]. Known as ''Haugvikbåten'', the well-preserved piece, kept in the Museum of Science (''Vitenskapsmuseet'') in Trondheim, has been dated to 800–400 BC—the [[Nordic Bronze Age]] ([http://www.ntnu.no/vmuseet/fakark/forvaltning/Haugvikbaten%202006/haugvikbaten.html]).

For many generations, Hålogaland had been the northernmost area of [[Norsemen|Norse]] settlement. The remnants of large longhouses near Borg (Vestvågøy) and in Steigen are dated to the Merovinger period (ca 600 AD). There is substantial [[archeological]] evidence of a Norse [[iron]]-based culture along the coast from approximately 200 AD.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.isv.uit.no/seksjon/ark/ansatte/bertelsen/kystfolk.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060220192900/http://www.isv.uit.no/seksjon/ark/ansatte/bertelsen/kystfolk.htm |archive-date=2006-02-20 |access-date=2006-02-20}}</ref>
[[File:Gunnar Berg Trollfjordslaget.jpg|thumb|upright|''Trollfjordslaget'' - The battle of Trollfjord by [[Gunnar Berg (painter)|Gunnar Berg]]]]
[[File:Hamsund gård, Hamarøy kommune, Nordland.jpg|thumb|left|[[Hamsun Farm]], [[Hamarøy Municipality]], part of the Norwegian Cultural Heritage.]]

Nordland is regarded as part of [[Sápmi (area)|Sápmi]]. The [[Sami people|Sami]] (or Sámi), which are not of [[Norsemen|Norse]] origins, have lived in Nordland for at least 2,000 years. Not just inland, but also along the fjords and, in the northern part of Nordland, even on the coast and larger islands, such as [[Hinnøya]]. There is a story in [[Heimskringla]] about a Viking who became a contender for the throne, [[Sigurd Slembe]]. He was on the run from the king and was helped by Sami in what is probably [[Lødingen Municipality]] today. The Sami even built him a boat, which the saga mention was made from pine [[wood]] ([[viking ships]] were typically made from oak wood, but the oak does not grow naturally this far north). [[Tysfjord Municipality|Tysfjord]] today is a centre for the [[Lule Sami]] culture.

The current county of Nordland was part of the [[petty kingdom]] of [[Hålogaland]] in the [[Viking Age|Viking era]]. This kingdom also included the southern part of [[Troms]].

In January 1432, an Italian trade ship going from [[Crete]] to [[Flanders]] was hit by a storm and taken far north where it was wrecked; some of the crew survived and came ashore on a small island in [[Røst Municipality]]. They were taken care of by the people of Røst. The story, told by one of the men, [[Pietro Querini]], gives one of the very few descriptions of life in Nordland in this time period ([https://web.archive.org/web/20070930061552/http://home.online.no/~boethius/senja/rost.htm Querini - Norw txt]). Querini sees the people of Røst (in all 120 people) as very trusting and good [[Catholic]]s, ''the inner circle of paradise''. He also mentions a German priest, which they could talk to in [[Latin]]. People lived from fishing cod and halibut, which they traded for other goods (like grain) in [[Bergen (city)|Bergen]]—the cod as [[stockfish]]. Each family also had about 5 [[cow]]s and collected eggs from semi-domesticated [[duck]]s. The shipwrecked men did not lack food during their winter stay, usually fish, but Querini also mentions milk, meat, butter, and pancakes. The people of Røst lived in round, wooden houses, and mostly used clothes made of [[wool]]. By late May, sailing in 24-hour daylight, the Italians were taken south to Bergen.

[[File:Norwegian Army 7.5 cm field gun.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Battle of Narvik]] saw the hardest fighting in Norway in [[World War II]]; about 7,500 Norwegian soldiers took part in the battle, along with British, French and Polish troops. The recapture of [[Narvik (town)|Narvik]] was the first time the Nazi German war machine had to withdraw from a captured town.]]
[[File:Høvdinghuset, Borg i Lofoten.JPG|thumb|left|The reconstructed chieftain house, [[Lofotr Viking Museum]], Borg in [[Vestvågøy Municipality]].]]

The largest ship disaster ever in Norway took place in 1944 when [[MS Rigel|''Rigel'']] transporting German prisoners was bombed by British Fleet Air Arm aircraft near [[Sandnessjøen]] ([[Alstahaug Municipality]]), with more than 2,500 casualties. The ship was grounded on Rosøya, where it remained, half sunk until it was demolished in 1970.

[[Petter Dass]] lived in [[Alstahaug Municipality]], and the Nobel laureate author [[Knut Hamsun]] grew up in [[Hamarøy Municipality]] after his family moved there when he was 3 years old.

Nordland County is identical to the [[Diocese of Sør-Hålogaland]].