The Earliest Record of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) in Northern Europe

Remains of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) recovered from a late Bronze Age (1200–800bc) settlement in central Sweden are described. The house sparrow is conspicuously rare in prehistoric Europe, and this record constitutes the earliest from the northern part. The find predates the introduction of domestic fowl (Gallus gallus) to Sweden, a species with which the house sparrow has been assumed to be spread simultaneously. Instead, it is here suggested that house sparrows most likely spread over Europe along with the horseEquus caballus.