Scattered along the outmost coastline and in almost every bay there are ancient dwelling-sites which date from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, also the Medieval Period. Access to fish, seabirds and marine mammals was extremely important for the existence of these earlier human societies. Reindeer hunting and trapping was an important activity at these coastal settlements.
In the centre of the National Park there are remnants of a Stone Age settlement dating back to 5800 BCE. This site was most likely used for hunting wild reindeer.
Approxiomately 4000 pit-trap relics have been registered in the valleys of Varanger peninsula in the National Park, and on the isthmus on route to Tana. There are also several funnel fence trapping structures. Thus, it appears that the practise of hunting by trapping was widespread and well-established. Indeed, this form of hunting appears to have ended only after wild reindeer became wiped out from the region in the 1600s.
Hunting-pits were placed along traditional migration routes that were used by reindeer travelling between summer and winter grazing areas. Ideal locations were on isthmuses between lakes, and where the animals crossed the valley floors in marshy areas.
Hunting and trapping systems were likely used over extensive periods of time. In the National Park the funnel fence trap system of the remote areas at Noidiidcearru/ Kjøpmannskjølen is particularly renowned. At this location there are also fence structures that funnelled the reindeer into a certain areas.
In the National Park there are many shooting hides, also Sami sacrificial and religious sites that were built in the pre-Christianity era. Other archaeological relics are falcon-traps in which birds of prey were captured.
Pomor ship crew. Photo: Larsen, J. (Digital Museum Collection)
Hamningberg in 1912. (Digital Museum Collection)
Fishing access led to coastal settlements
Access to the plentiful fish stocks and marine wildlife in the local ocean was a source of both food and income for people living in the area. In the Persfjorden- Syltefjorden Protected Landscape Area there were formerly several dwelling places and fishing depots. In the Ytre Syltevika Nature Reserve there are mounds that are the locations of two churches. Indeed, the area has relics of dwelling-sites throughout the ages all the way back to Medieval times. It is likely the marine mammals of the region were hunted hard. In later years, many were harvested almost to extinction in the fjord when grenade-torpedo weaponry was developed and installed on steam ships.
Immigration from Finland
In the 1700 and 1800s there was immigration to the Varanger region of a Finnish-speaking population arriving from Northern Finland and Northeast Sweden.
The Kven language that developed from this time was a mixture of both Norwegian and Finnish. Vestre Jakobselv, Vadsø and Skallelv were areas particularly influenced by the Finnish settlers. The settlers in these areas subsisted on smallholdings with some farmland, whilst they also harvested resources from the upland areas. They cut peat turf from local peatbogs as fuel for their stoves and they fished from the fjord.
Kven people also identify themselves as Norwegian Finns, in relation to their ancestry dating back to these early immigrants. Find more about our Kven/Norwegian Finnish culture in Varanger by visiting the Ruija Kvenmuseum, the Kven Museum 
in Vadsø.
The Pomor
From 1700 until the Russian revolution in 1917 there was a considerable Pomor trade of goods along the Russian and North-Norwegian coastline.
Although officially this trade with the Pomor people of Northern Russian began in 1740, some sources state that trading began as early as the 1600s.
The Pomor brought with them rye flour, wheat flour, and other important commodities from the White Sea coastline such as oatmeal and salt. They traded their goods for fish particularly halibut, haddock, and cod, which they then customarily salted on board.
At Sandfjordneset Nature Reserve there is a grave site which is supposedly from the Pomor trading time.
Pomor boats. (Digital Museum Collection)
On the move in the autumntime, aided by shepherd dogs. Photo: Konrad Nielsen. (Digital Museum Collection).
Tame reindeer replace the wild reindeer flocks
The domestication of reindeer may have replaced hunting and trapping practises because of a 1660 moratorium prohibiting hunting and trapping wild reindeer. By the end of the 1600s the remaining wild reindeer were exterminated due to their overharvesting.
The semi-domesticated reindeer found on Varanger today are genetically distinct from wild reindeer. Genetic analysis of historic reindeer antler material suggests that the reindeer flocks of today have their origins beyond Varanger. However, exact dates of when reindeer husbandry replaced the hunting of Varanger’s own wild reindeer remain unresolved.
Varanger was the summer grazing region for semi-domesticated reindeer from 1600 until 1852, with winter grazing grounds in Enare and Utsjok in Finland. However, when Finland’s border was closed after this period, access to winter pastures and grazing of pine forest habitat became restricted thereafter.
Before the modern snowmobile era, reindeer were herded on foot or by ski, depending on the season. Other transport means were by sled and reindeer sleigh. Reindeer herds were more domesticated than they are today, and it was possible to contain the herds in localised areas. Fences were superfluous as individual animals could be separated from the rest of the tame herd by well-trained herding dogs. The female reindeer were likely milked where they could be gathered in localities that were naturally restricted, such as headland areas. Even today there is evidence of where traditional herding areas were because the vegetation has been slightly altered due to fertilisation input (excrement from the herds). In such areas you can also find signs of firepits and storage areas. Geatgegorsa in Bergebydalen (westward of the National Park) is one such area where reindeer may have been gathered for milking.
Before modern-day practises using snow-scooters, reindeer were gathered for earmarking in June using hand-lassos. Some animals were slaughtered at this time of year for their high-quality hides and skins. In the autumn, reindeer were gathered once again and sorted for the annual autumn cull. Meat was then transported down from the hills to be traded more locally. In those days, the cull only took place once there was already frosty weather as there were no freezers or refrigeration to keep meat from otherwise perishing.
Much changed with the dawn of the snow-scooter. På 1950-tallet ble det etablert flere samlegjerder fordelt i området. Blant annet på Gjelhaugen, Ordo og Ryggfjellet. World War II also impacted the reindeer of Varanger; during this time the population became considerably reduced.
Less intensive herding on the summer pastures and increasing herd sizes led to reindeer becoming less tame over time, and corrals and fencing became necessary to gather the reindeer. Reindeer numbers increased in the 1970s, resulting in greater reliance on snow-scooter and all-terrain vehicles. Nowadays, reindeer are transported for commercial slaughter after being herded into a large, fenced area outside the national park at Krampenes in the autumn harvesting period.
At several locations in the National Park, there are archaeological clues revealing how the region was formerly used. There are signs of fences used for herding and gathering, and remains of old turf cottages (gamme) and stone ring remnants from the circular tents (lavvo) used for summer camping. In former times, people were out in the hills for longer periods and were thus more reliant on the availability of such tents and turf shelters, also huts.
Reindeer are still an important resource in the manufacture of many traditional products. The skins make good mattresses to lie upon, also footwear and other clothes. The antlers can be used to make several tools and implements. Craftspeople called the duodjárene apply traditional knowledge in using all that a reindeer can provide and are skilled at making a range of handicraft products.
Be more familiar with the history of reindeer husbandry and the coastal Sami traditions along the Varanger fjord by visiting Várjjat Sámi Musea/the Varanger Sami Museum in Varangerbotn. The museum specialises in Sami history and modern Sami culture and has Sami handwork and handicraft (duodji) exhibits.
Cultural remains of shooting hides and funnel and trapping fences related to reindeer hunting. Photo: Sámi Parliament
Korvanen, Hallonen and Tapio with a working ox at the upland hay meadows. Photo: Digital Museum Collection
From 1850 to the present day
Before the age of the tractor and advent of artificial fertilisers, fields and upland meadow areas surrounding settlements were used intensively by the people living near them. For example, in Vestre-Jakobselv it was normal to have 1-3 cows and sheep at each croft. Chickens and goats were also commonplace. Yet one cow would require 5-6 horse-wagon loads of hay per year. Those owning horses could provide for more livestock at home because a horse meant one could travel further from home to gather more hay fodder in distant upland mire meadows. In the spring when fodder was scarcer, fish-heads and fish bonemeal was cooked up with the remaining hay feed as sheep food.
It was the combination of access to resources as grass both from fjord and upland areas that made it possible for people living by the shoreline to have livestock.
With the arrival of the Finnish immigrants came new and advanced agricultural techniques and cultivation of farmland improved. Originally, oxen were used as work-animals, later to be replaced by horses. At peatlands close to communities, peat turf was cut, and the dried peat used for fuel. Haymaking took place in August and September and the harvesting took longer for those who were required to make the journey to grass meadows further afield than close to the homesteads.
It was usual to build turf cottage shelters (gamme) close to meadow areas. These were always left open all year round so that they could be used by anyone in need. Generally, the hay was dried on the ground for some weeks before being transferred to stacks and ricks. The wet mires were filled with hay racks for drying hay. The hay harvest was then driven down to the settlements by horse and wagon as soon as the first frosts froze the mires.
Horse and wagon were also used substantially when it was the cloudberry-picking season. At this time of the year, it was usual for the whole family to work together at harvesting berries. The adults would be away gathering berries with their children for weeks at a time. Indeed, revenue from the cloudberry crops provided valuable income for families right up until the 1960s. Ptarmigan hunting with snares in the winter was also a secondary source of income and red fox pelts were highly prized as a trading product until the price of fur collapsed in the 1970s. In the early 1900 arctic fox were also hunted and trapped for the prize of the pelts.
Charles Harjo at a turf cutting site. Photo: Niskaniity Skallelv
Read more about partisan activity in Finnmark during World War II in the book ‘The Partisans of Finnmark’ by author Hans Kristian Eriksen (copy in Norwegian language only). Photo: Geir Østereng
World War II
The Varanger peninsula was occupied by the Germans under World War II and several dramatic events unfolded in the Persfjorden – Syltefjorden Landscape Protected Area and in the National Park in Komagdalen. Both Bjørneskard hut and Heimdal (Kjølstua) were hide-outs for some time for a group of partisans. Many headlands and remote outposts were modified as fortresses for German artillery and stationed thereafter by German military personel.
In Vardø and Båtsfjord there are dramatic tales about the fates of partisans. Many partisans were locals from Kiberg who had escaped to Fiskerhalvøya in Russia to join the allied resistance and fight against the German occupation of Varanger and Norway. Many were sent back to Varanger to relay intelligence to Russia and the allied concerning German military movements. They were stationed in secret hideouts and tasked with reporting on the convoys of German materials destined for Kirkenes. Many partisans were captured by the German soldiers and hence sacrificed their lives for the resistance movement.
There is plane wreck debris from World War II along the coastline of the National Park area.
For more information, we recommend a visit to the Partisan Museum in Kiberg in Vardø municipality.
Today’s harvesting of upland resources
The river valleys with outflows in areas with huts are popular areas for salmon fishing, ptarmigan-hunting and berry picking experiences. Driving access is permissible almost up to the National Park boundary in the areas of Komagdalen, Skallelv, Vestre-Jakobselv, Persfjorden, Sandfjorden and Syltefjorddalen. Other areas with good access into the hills are from Nesseby (to Bergebyvatn) and from Nerslåtta with all terrain vehicles..
You’ll find that most people gather berries where there is the easiest and best road access. In the heart of the National Park are berry fields that are less visited than in former times.
The high season for fishing begins from the end of June, whilst in August there is an exodus to wetland areas for cloudberry picking, and along the hillsides for blueberries and crowberries. Bird-dogs are often in training from the 21st of August, in preparation for the ptarmigan hunting season starting on the 10th of September. In the first week of the bird hunting season there can be a lot of hunting activity. There are 13 hunting zones that overlap with the National Park. Moose hunting has become a popular activity in modern times, both in terms of the actual hunt and the resources gathered. Moose meat can provide a substantial wild meat contribution for several families to benefit from.
The valleys with anadromous fish are popular with the salmon fishing community. In most rivers it is possible to catch wild salmon, Arctic char, sea trout, Pacific salmon, and trout. Management of the rivers is by local fishing and hunting associations. Some inland lakes also have good fishing opportunities but getting to them can be quite an effort. Whilst it is less popular today to use nets as has been used in the past in the larger lakes on the periphery of the National Park (for example in Bergebyvatnet lake), fish traps are used by the hut owners connected to Ordo Lake. Fly-fishing has increased in popularity these past 50 years.
Fishing for small salmon is a popular activity. Photo: Randul Valle.
Harvesting from nature to make Sami handicraft items (duodji) was a popular activity in earlier times. Repeated tree damage since 2000 by birch moth larvae attacking the birch trees which they feed on has caused die-back in large areas of birch forest on the southern margins of the peninsular. This has no doubt contributed to a reduced interest in making wood-based products.
The main use of nature today is in outdoor recreation such as hiking and inland fishing with the use of tents, or hut-to-hut trips between the open huts in the north and towards Hamningberg. Most travel today is for recreation in the summertime in the National Park via access from Vestre Jakobselv, Nattfjelldalen, Komagdalen and Sandfjorddalen. These routes are marked with orange ‘Perletur’ signs. Exploring the scenery enjoyed along such ‘Pearl Trips’ attracts people at many levels of ability into the hills.
During the winter snow-scooter driving is an attraction for many along the designated and marked snow-scooter tracks. Each municipality has responsibility for marking, opening, and closing the trails. Many use snow-scooters to access ice fishing locations, or simply to take a scooter trip. The weather can be very variable and driving along the tracks requires a well-maintained scooter with headlights. Before setting out, drivers must be familiar with the rules relevant to the scooter trail they wish to use.
If you want to cross-country ski in wintertime, in the months of March and April it’s popular to follow the groomed ski track from Vestre Jakobselv or Vadsø ski area that leads up to the ‘345m Summit’ shelter (14 km). It’s a Norwegian tradition to take a refreshing orange with you for when you take a break in your skiing in easter… enjoy eating your orange from this open shelter with its panoramic view of the National Park, the Jakobselvdalen valley and the mighty Varanger fjord. Have a nice trip!