▁ice ▁light ened ▁its ▁g rip ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁about ▁ 1 1 , 5 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁in und ated ▁by ▁m elt ▁water ▁before ▁the ▁land ▁started ▁to ▁rise ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁is lets ▁rose ▁over ▁the ▁water ▁surface ▁( at ▁the ▁time ▁located ▁about ▁ 4 0 ▁metres ▁over ▁the ▁present ▁sea ▁level ). ▁ ▁The ▁ret iring ▁ice ▁left ▁behind ▁a ▁cover ▁of ▁sand , ▁gra vel , ▁and ▁rocks ▁forming ▁m ora ine ▁rid ges ▁still ▁witness ing ▁how ▁the ▁ice ▁gave ▁up ▁some ▁ 2 5 0 ▁m ▁ann ually ▁over ▁two ▁centuries . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁ice ▁sheet , ▁streams ▁formed ▁es k ers , ▁most ▁not ably ▁the ▁huge ▁Brun ke berg s å sen , ▁the ▁ste ep ▁s lop es ▁of ▁which ▁still ▁form ▁bar riers ▁in ▁central ▁Stockholm . ▁ ▁After ▁some ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁years ▁the ▁first ▁humans ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁to ▁start ▁the ▁Stone ▁Age ▁era ▁character ized ▁by ▁a ▁climate ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁Mediter rane an ▁Sea . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁land ▁elev ation , ▁the ▁arch ae ological ▁traces ▁of ▁these ▁first ▁coast al ▁settlement s ▁are ▁today ▁found ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁coast ▁and ▁the ▁modern ▁metropol itan ▁area . ▁ ▁The ▁traces ▁consists ▁of ▁various ▁tools , ▁including ▁quart z ▁and ▁fl int ▁arrow head s ▁used ▁by ▁these ▁h unter - g ather ers ▁to ▁catch ▁mostly ▁se als . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁end ▁of