The first settlers in the region of the Dalälven arrived after the retreat of the ice sheet, 10,000 years ago. At that time, the Lower Dalälven was below sea level and was in the zone corresponding to today's Dalarna, which was the first area settled. The first settlers in the region settled the banks of the river and its tributaries, as well as the shore. They were hunter-gatherers. In the Lower Dalälven, which extended bit by bit, the eskers were the best sites for the first permanent settlements.p. 44 It was easy to nourish oneself, thanks to the river, and these places were also the easiest to defend. Besides this, the river was easiest to cross at this point.
