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Archaeology, Settlement Patterns, Corded Ware Culture, Subsistence Strategy, Prehistoric Archaeology, Agriculture, and 21 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Environmental Archaeology, Archaeobotany, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Neolithic, Neolithic Europe, Prehistoric Settlement, Mesolithic/Neolithic, Balkans, Eurasian Prehistory, Balkan Prehistory (Archaeology), Neolithic of the Balkans, The Neolithic Revolution, Corded Ware Settlement Pattern, Neolithic Transition, Origins of Agriculture, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Hunter-Gatherer Archaeology, Chronology, Eneolithic, and Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology) edit
To investigate changes in culinary practices associated with the arrival of farming, we analysed the organic residues of over 1,000 pottery vessels from hunter-gatherer-fisher and early agricultural sites across Northern Europe from the... more
To investigate changes in culinary practices associated with the arrival of farming, we analysed the organic residues of over 1,000 pottery vessels from hunter-gatherer-fisher and early agricultural sites across Northern Europe from the Lower Rhine Basin to the Northeastern Baltic. Here, pottery was widely used by hunter-gatherer-fishers prior to the introduction of domesticated animals and plants. Overall, there was surprising continuity in the way that hunter-gatherer-fishers and farmers used pottery. Both aquatic products and wild plants remained prevalent, a pattern repeated consistently across the study area. We argue that the rapid adaptation of farming communities to exploit coastal and lagoonal resources facilitated their northerly expansion, and in some cases, hunting, gathering, and fishing became the most dominant subsistence strategy. Nevertheless, dairy products frequently appear in pottery associated with the earliest farming groups often mixed with wild plants and fish. Interestingly, we also find compelling evidence of dairy products in hunter-gatherer-fisher Ertebølle pottery, which predates the arrival of domesticated animals. We propose that Ertebølle hunter-gatherer-fishers frequently acquired dairy products through exchange with adjacent farming communities prior to the transition. The continuity observed in pottery use across the transition to farming contrasts with the analysis of human remains which shows substantial demographic change through ancient DNA and, in some cases, a reduction in marine consumption through stable isotope analysis. We postulate that farmers acquired the knowledge and skills they needed to succeed from local hunter-gatherer-fishers but without substantial admixture.
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Although numerous settlement sites of Corded Ware culture have been discovered in Finland, only a few houses have been identified. This is in stark contrast to the abundant number of pithouses of local hunter-gatherers. This paper takes a... more
Although numerous settlement sites of Corded Ware culture have been discovered in Finland, only a few houses have been identified. This is in stark contrast to the abundant number of pithouses of local hunter-gatherers. This paper takes a closer look at the houses associated with Corded Ware culture, first, by introducing a recently excavated Corded Ware house from southern Finland and other houses connected to Corded Ware culture from Finland and the Karelian Isthmus, Russia, and second, by outlining the various types of Corded Ware houses around the Baltic Sea. After that, the emerging picture suggesting interaction between the regional variants of Corded Ware culture as well as between Corded Ware cultures and local hunter-gatherers will be discussed. Even if the remains of Corded Ware houses are few and often quite ambiguous, it will be concluded that several types of houses have existed in the area north of the Gulf of Finland, and the contacts between cultural traditions affected settlement types and house structures in each party involved in the process.
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Page 1. 107 Fennoscandia archaeologica XXVI (2009) Petri Halinen; Teemu Mökkönen BETWEEN LAKE AND SEA – STONE AGE SETTLEMENT BY ANCIENT LAKE LADOGA ON THE KARELIAN ISTHMUS AbstractThis paper discusses changes in the settlement... more
Page 1. 107 Fennoscandia archaeologica XXVI (2009) Petri Halinen; Teemu Mökkönen BETWEEN LAKE AND SEA – STONE AGE SETTLEMENT BY ANCIENT LAKE LADOGA ON THE KARELIAN ISTHMUS
AbstractThis paper discusses changes in the settlement pattern of the hunter-fisher-gatherers once inhabiting the shores of Ancient Lake Ladoga. So far, the study area is archaeologically the most extensively studied area on the Karelian Isthmus, Russia. Recent surveys and small-scale excavations have diversified the picture of hunter-gatherer settlement in the Kaukola–Räisälä area, nowadays located in the lower River Vuoksi Valley. This article presents new data and discusses the changes in site location with respect to environmental zones and variation in the shelteredness of the sites. Special attention is paid to the differences between housepit sites and other dwelling sites without such permanent dwelling structures. In addition, the excavated sites provide a selection of various settlement types located in different environmental zones. The occupation phase and the settlement type of the excavated sites are determined with the help of osteological and archaeological material. Research indicates that the most distinctive change in settlement pattern took place during the Middle Neolithic, at the time when Typical Comb Ware was in use (ca. 4000–3400 cal BC).
AbstractThis paper discusses changes in the settlement pattern of the hunter-fisher-gatherers once inhabiting the shores of Ancient Lake Ladoga. So far, the study area is archaeologically the most extensively studied area on the Karelian Isthmus, Russia. Recent surveys and small-scale excavations have diversified the picture of hunter-gatherer settlement in the Kaukola–Räisälä area, nowadays located in the lower River Vuoksi Valley. This article presents new data and discusses the changes in site location with respect to environmental zones and variation in the shelteredness of the sites. Special attention is paid to the differences between housepit sites and other dwelling sites without such permanent dwelling structures. In addition, the excavated sites provide a selection of various settlement types located in different environmental zones. The occupation phase and the settlement type of the excavated sites are determined with the help of osteological and archaeological material. Research indicates that the most distinctive change in settlement pattern took place during the Middle Neolithic, at the time when Typical Comb Ware was in use (ca. 4000–3400 cal BC).
Viimeisimpien maanviljelyn alkua käsittelevien julkaisujen mukaan Suomen vanhimmat viljojen siitepölyt ajoittuvat kivikauden lopulle noin 2500–1800 cal BC. 2000-luvulla Suomen lähialueilta on saatu runsaasti aiempaa vanhempia viljan... more
Viimeisimpien maanviljelyn alkua käsittelevien julkaisujen mukaan Suomen vanhimmat viljojen siitepölyt ajoittuvat kivikauden lopulle noin 2500–1800 cal BC.
2000-luvulla Suomen lähialueilta on saatu runsaasti aiempaa vanhempia viljan siitepölyjen ajoituksia. Sen sijaan Suomessa vanhimman kivikautisen viljelyn tutkimustilanne ei ole juuri muuttunut sitten 1990-luvun. Tämän artikkelin ensimmäisenä tavoitteena on esitellä vanhimmat viljelyn merkit Suomesta ja Suomen lähiympäristöstä.
Toisena tavoitteena on esittää näkemys siitä, miten vanhoja maanviljelyn merkkejä Suomesta on odotettavissa. Tätä näkemystä perustellaan olemassa olevien siitepölytutkimusten lisäksi myös arkeologisessa aineistossa näkyvillä muutoksilla yhteisöjen tavoissa asua ja toimia ympäristössään.
Kivikauti sen maanviljelyn leviämistä pohjoiseen käsitellään useimmiten yhä 1980-luvulla luotujen mallien pohjalta. Baltian pohjoisosien tutkimustilanne on kuitenkin muuttunut merkittävästi viimeisen kymmenen vuoden aikana. Artikkelissa pohditaan myös maanviljelyn leviämistä kuvaavien mallien soveltuvuutta nykyiseen tutkimustilanteeseen.
2000-luvulla Suomen lähialueilta on saatu runsaasti aiempaa vanhempia viljan siitepölyjen ajoituksia. Sen sijaan Suomessa vanhimman kivikautisen viljelyn tutkimustilanne ei ole juuri muuttunut sitten 1990-luvun. Tämän artikkelin ensimmäisenä tavoitteena on esitellä vanhimmat viljelyn merkit Suomesta ja Suomen lähiympäristöstä.
Toisena tavoitteena on esittää näkemys siitä, miten vanhoja maanviljelyn merkkejä Suomesta on odotettavissa. Tätä näkemystä perustellaan olemassa olevien siitepölytutkimusten lisäksi myös arkeologisessa aineistossa näkyvillä muutoksilla yhteisöjen tavoissa asua ja toimia ympäristössään.
Kivikauti sen maanviljelyn leviämistä pohjoiseen käsitellään useimmiten yhä 1980-luvulla luotujen mallien pohjalta. Baltian pohjoisosien tutkimustilanne on kuitenkin muuttunut merkittävästi viimeisen kymmenen vuoden aikana. Artikkelissa pohditaan myös maanviljelyn leviämistä kuvaavien mallien soveltuvuutta nykyiseen tutkimustilanteeseen.
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Exploitation of proxy data is typical for disciplines that are studying past environmental issues. A proxy is a dataset through which it is possible to draw conclusions on another subject. For example, tree ring records can be used as... more
Exploitation of proxy data is typical for disciplines that are studying past environmental issues. A proxy is a dataset through which it is possible to draw conclusions on another subject. For example, tree ring records can be used as proxy data to estimate changes in past annual temperatures because of the scientifi cally verifi ed knowledge on the causality between annual temperature and the thickness, and other attributes, of annually grown tree rings. Proxy data is at the heart of the natural sciences. At the moment, a lot of environmental data is available to gain a more comprehensive description of past environmental conditions. The reason for writing this discussion is that the prehistoric population model based on 14C proxy data presented by Tallavaara et al. (2010) has gained more weight than other slightly different variations on the theme (Siiriäinen 1981; Hertell 2009), and a number of recent studies rely on a recent view of Stone Age demographic development (Sundell et ...
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Typical Comb Ware has for a long time dominated the Finnish image of the Neolithic period. Due to its rich and voluminous material culture with high archaeological visibility and, consequently, a long research history, it seems to have an... more
Typical Comb Ware has for a long time dominated the Finnish image of the Neolithic period. Due to its rich and voluminous material culture with high archaeological visibility and, consequently, a long research history, it seems to have an elevated position in comparison with many other periods and pottery types. Typical Comb Ware is commonly said to have been defi ned by Aarne Äyräpää (before 1930 Europaeus) in his nearly canonical work Die relative Chronologie der steinzeitlichen Keramik in Finnland (Europaeus-Äyräpää 1930). The accumulation of material during the 85 years since Äyräpää’s work was published has, nevertheless, identifi ed several problems with it and given grounds to ask how valid his classifi cations actually are. In this article, we aim to trace the defi nition of Typical Comb Ware from its beginning in the early 20th century until the present day, and also to outline the criticisms and attempts made to improve the classifi cation. Because the pottery type was ori...
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The settlement site Pegrema I is located on a sandy pine heath by the fjord-like bay of Unitskaya Guba, on Lake Onega, on the Zaonezhe Peninsula in the Karelian Republic (Russian Federation) (Fig. 1). The area is one of the major... more
The settlement site Pegrema I is located on a sandy pine heath by the fjord-like bay of Unitskaya Guba, on Lake Onega, on the Zaonezhe Peninsula in the Karelian Republic (Russian Federation) (Fig. 1). The area is one of the major prehistoric settlement areas known in Karelia, with tens of individual locations or areas of activity dating from the Mesolithic to the Early Metal Period. The site of Pegrema I is among the best-studied of these: found in 1966, c 1000 m2 were excavated in 1970–73 (Zhuravlev 1987; 1991) (Fig. 2). It is also one of the most intensively studied Rhomb-Pit Ware sites in Karelia, and has held an important position in the study of this pottery type, as well as its dating (see Vitenkova 1996: 152, 160–1; Khoroshun 2013: 11, 116; Nordqvist & Mökkönen in press). While re-examining the find material from Pegrema I in February 2015, a peculiar artefact was encountered: a ceramic vessel with holes pierced through its walls, a strainer. This item had not previously arou...
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ABSTRACTThis paper presents bulk stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N, C/N ratio) measurements of14C dated carbonized crusts on 6th and 5th millennium cal BC pottery from Finland and northwestern Russia. Based on this data, it explores the... more
ABSTRACTThis paper presents bulk stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N, C/N ratio) measurements of14C dated carbonized crusts on 6th and 5th millennium cal BC pottery from Finland and northwestern Russia. Based on this data, it explores the differences in the origins of crusts attached on the inner and outer surfaces of vessels, and the changes in dietary practices and pottery use. It is argued that during the earliest phase of pottery use, mostly terrestrial ingredients were processed in the vessels, and aquatic resources became visible centuries later during the 5th millennium cal BC.
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Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Geology, Geochemistry, Stable Isotope Analysis, and 13 moreNorthern Europe, Neolithic Archaeology, Radiocarbon, Neolithic Transition, Neolithic Europe, Mesolithic/Neolithic, Pottery, History and archaeology, Radiocarbon Dating, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Stable Isotopes and Palaeodiet, North European Archaeology, and Pottery Archaeology
This article discusses a radiocarbon-based chronology for the Neolithic–Eneolithic period in the present-day Republic of Karelia (Russian Federation). The main goal is to present all currently available radiocarbon datings, including... more
This article discusses a radiocarbon-based chronology for the Neolithic–Eneolithic period in the present-day Republic of Karelia (Russian Federation). The main goal is to present all currently available radiocarbon datings, including the previously published dates, as well as the ones recently obtained by the authors. In total, there are 194 dates from 77 sites covering the period from the 6th to the 2nd millennium cal BC. Besides providing an up-to-date list of datings, the article also evaluates their reliability and utility in building a local chronology. Despite several shortcomings, the new AMS-supported chronology enables the study of past cultural dynamics in much greater detail than previously and allows its better integration into the wider north-east European chronological framework.
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History, Geography, Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, and 15 moreNeolithic Europe, Neolithic, Pottery, Stone Age Archaeology, Chronology, Eneolithic, Radiocarbon Dating, Chalcolithic, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Radiocarbon Chronology, Periodisation, archeology of the north-western Russia, Pottery Archaeology, Karelian Republic, and Neolitik
This paper discusses the basis of Neolithic periodization used in mainland Finland. It is suggested that the periodization should be revised: boundary between the Middle and Late Neolithic periods should be moved to correspond the... more
This paper discusses the basis of Neolithic periodization used in mainland Finland. It is suggested that the periodization should be revised: boundary between the Middle and Late Neolithic periods should be moved to correspond the appearance of Corded Ware (ca. 2800 calBC), and a term Final Neolithic introduced to cover the final centuries of the Neolithic. This kind of division would reflect changes in the cultural development better than the currently used one. In addition, the chronological frames for the pottery types dated between the late 6th and mid-4th millennium calBC, i.e. the Early Neolithic and the beginning of Middle Neolithic, are presented.
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History, Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Europe, Finland, and 13 morePeriodization, Stone Age Archaeology, Chronology, Early Neolithic, Radiocarbon Dating, Late Neolithic, Radiocarbon Dating (Archaeology), Radiocarbon Chronology, Middle Neolithic, Periodisation, Pottery Archaeology, Documenta Praehistorica 32, and Periodizacija
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ABSTRACT The early stages of agriculture in the Boreal forests of Northern Europe remain poorly understood. Although pottery appeared during the 6th millennium B.C., this has not been seen as an indication of a true Neolithic in the... more
ABSTRACT The early stages of agriculture in the Boreal forests of Northern Europe remain poorly understood. Although pottery appeared during the 6th millennium B.C., this has not been seen as an indication of a true Neolithic in the north. In later prehistory, vast parts of the region are thought to have remained a wilderness. In order to test these assumptions, a high-resolution pollen analysis and an archaeological survey were carried out at Lake Huhdasj ¨ arvi, SE Finland. The results indicate signs of cultivation already by the early Neolithic, 5260–4260 B.C., and slash-and-burn cultivation concentrated on deciduous forests is recorded from ca. A.D. 600 onwards. By A.D. 930, an intensive form of swidden cultivation began in the coniferous forests, indicating a well-established agricultural settlement. The discovery of Neolithic (late 6th millennium B.C.) buckwheat pollen suggests that the roots of agriculture in northernmost Europe may have to be searched for in China rather than the Near East. C � 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Although quartz predominates in Stone Age knapped assemblages in Finland, the selection of raw materials was not similar throughout the period. This article takes a closer look at the choice of lithic raw materials in Northern... more
Although quartz predominates in Stone Age knapped assemblages in Finland, the selection of raw materials was not similar throughout the period. This article takes a closer look at the choice of lithic raw materials in Northern Ostrobothnia (Finland) during the 6th–3rd millennia calBC. It demonstrates that changes in lithic raw materials and other cultural development, including pottery production, do not always go hand in hand. A comparison of Northern Ostrobothnia with the Lake Saimaa area shows that there are certain similarities in lithic assemblages (raw material use and technology) during some cultural phases despite the different local raw material base, although diverging trends and regional variation can also be identified.
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In the mid-1970s, Finland's oldest wreck of a sailing vessel was discovered at Virolahti in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Dated to the Viking Age in the initial research, the wreck was named after the nearby island of... more
In the mid-1970s, Finland's oldest wreck of a sailing vessel was discovered at Virolahti in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. Dated to the Viking Age in the initial research, the wreck was named after the nearby island of Lapuri. Subsequent radiocarbon dating and the ceramics in the cargo of the vessel have altered the date to the Middle Ages. The wreck was previously associated with the eastward route of the Vikings which was assumed to have passed along the northern coast of the Gulf of Finland. The wreck has now been dissociated from this context of the Vikings' eastward route. As a result of the new date, the medieval wreck has remained only an isolated find on the coast at Virolahti, without any actual connection with local history. The present article seeks to present a more precise date for the wreck based on a combination of its radiocarbon datings, to link the vessel with the history of the region where it was discovered, and to discuss its possible origin and use. Calibration and compined dating of the three youngest caulking datings date the ship to the 13th century, with an emphasis on the last quarter of the century (Figs. 5-6). The dating is equivalent with the dating of the proto-stoneware jug found from the wreck (Fig. 8b). The wreck lies in a natural harbour just outside a bay in the vicinity of which there was a manor in the 14th century (Fig. 10). The earliest historical document mentioning Virolahti (Virlax in Swedish) dates from 1336. It is a letter written by the bailiff of the Viborg castle in which he grants the burghers of Tallinn the right to trade in the civitas of Virolahti. There have not been towns in Virolahti in the Middle Ages or later. The term civitas must have meant the manor or a marketplace operating under the control of the manor. This makes the Lapuri strait a good candidate for the marketplace mentioned in the letter. The origin of the wreck is fin. Earlier researchers have assumed that the vessel must have been built somewhere outside Finland, because it is made of oak. The use of oak does not, however, exclude a domestic origin. Several alternative hypotheses of the origin of the vessel can be based on its structual details, on the finds of various objects, and the historical development of the find area, pointing to different areas of the Baltic region. The problem of the origin can possibly be solved in the future, if the dendrochronological samples taken from the wreck can be connected with the dendrochronological curves of some particular area. The question of origin is tied up with the use of the ship in warlike activities, in the colonization of the area by Swedish immigrants, or whether it was just an ordinary late 13th-century vessel.
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History, Geography, Archaeology, Radiocarbon, Ceramics, and 12 moreAge, Settlement, Habitat, Radiocarbon Dating, Calibration, Dating, New, Document, Letter, Final, Origin, and Bay
In 2004-2005, the Kaukola-Räisälä-project of the University of Helsinki studied a group of Stone Age settlement sites on a former island of Ancient Lake Ladoga. At the settlement site Rupunkangas 4 (Ru. Protochnoe 3) in the former... more
In 2004-2005, the Kaukola-Räisälä-project of the University of Helsinki studied a group of Stone Age settlement sites on a former island of Ancient Lake Ladoga. At the settlement site Rupunkangas 4 (Ru. Protochnoe 3) in the former municipality of Kaukola (today Sevast'yanovo), a pit feature that was preliminarily identified as a cooking pit was excavated. The investigations revealed that this object was a simple charcoal production pit; In addition, a quarter of another possible charcoal pit was excavated. Based on radiocarbon dating, these features date between 1200 and 1650 calAD. This article presents the results of the excavations and briefly discusses the simple charcoal pits, their dating, properties and context of use.
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This paper presents and discusses the characteristics of Pöljä Ware (dated between 3300 and 2500 cal BC) from eight sites located mainly in the lake district of Finland. Despite general similarities, the assemblages show both stylistic... more
This paper presents and discusses the characteristics of Pöljä Ware (dated between 3300 and 2500 cal BC) from eight sites located mainly in the lake district of Finland. Despite general similarities, the assemblages show both stylistic (decoration) and technological (temper) trends that reflect the different cultural and natural conditions in the northern and southern parts of Lake Saimaa. Pöljä Ware has closely resembling material in the asbestos- and organic-tempered ceramics of the Karelian Republic (particularly late Orovnavolok Ware) and belongs to the same techno-stylistic and chronological horizon as the Volosovo-related cultural units of northern European Russia. The use of asbestos parallels the accelerated use of organic tempers, both associated with possible new uses of pottery vessels and the requirements placed on them.
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Page 1. Arkeologia, historialliset kartat ja paikkatieto Lisensiaatintutkielma Teemu Mökkönen Helsingin yliopisto Kulttuurien tutkimuksen laitos Arkeologian oppiaine Kevätlukukausi 2008 Page 2. Tiedekunta/OsastoFakultet/Sektion Faculty... more
Page 1. Arkeologia, historialliset kartat ja paikkatieto Lisensiaatintutkielma Teemu Mökkönen Helsingin yliopisto Kulttuurien tutkimuksen laitos Arkeologian oppiaine Kevätlukukausi 2008 Page 2. Tiedekunta/OsastoFakultet/Sektion Faculty HUMANISTINEN TIEDEKUNTA ...
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This paper presents bulk stable isotope (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, C/N ratio) measurements of 14 C dated carbonized crusts on 6th and 5th millennium cal BC pottery from Finland and northwestern Russia. Based on this data, it explores the... more
This paper presents bulk stable isotope (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, C/N ratio) measurements of 14 C dated carbonized crusts on 6th and 5th millennium cal BC pottery from Finland and northwestern Russia. Based on this data, it explores the differences in the origins of crusts attached on the inner and outer surfaces of vessels, and the changes in dietary practices and pottery use. It is argued that during the earliest phase of pottery use, mostly terrestrial ingredients were processed in the vessels, and aquatic resources became visible centuries later during the 5th millennium cal BC.
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In the 1960s, a Neolithic asbestos-tempered pottery type called Kierikki Ware was introduced through materials found at the Kierikkisaari site in northern Finland. Since its initial description, no comprehensive studies related to the... more
In the 1960s, a Neolithic asbestos-tempered pottery type called Kierikki Ware was introduced through materials found at the Kierikkisaari site in northern Finland. Since its initial description, no comprehensive studies related to the type have been undertaken. This article presents the research history and properties of pottery termed as Kierikki Ware, and introduces the first AMS dates from the eponym site. After this, Kierikki Ware is placed both into local and wider, north-east European context by comparing it with other contemporary potteries from Finland and the Republic of Karelia (Russia). It is argued that the ceramic assemblage accumulated at the eponymous Kierikkisaari site during the half a millennium of its use does not represent a coherent pottery type, but is rather the outcome of site’s special function and re ects qualities also common to many other contemporary pottery types in north-east Europe. Therefore, Kierikki Ware does not exist in the form it is traditionally perceived in Finnish archaeology, and the further use of this concept requires its re-evaluation against the diversity present in the currently known archaeological materials.
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Until recently, the absolute chronology of the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods (c 5300–1800 BC) in the Republic of Karelia (North-West Russia) was based on a fairly limited amount of conventional datings made of wood charcoal samples,... more
Until recently, the absolute chronology of the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods (c 5300–1800 BC) in the Republic of Karelia (North-West Russia) was based on a fairly limited amount of conventional datings made of wood charcoal samples, often troubled by various quality- and provenience-related issues. The first AMS-dates of charred residues attached on ceramic shards were made in the late 1990s and since then just a handful of additional datings (15) have been reported. This paper presents a new series of 41 AMS dates obtained on Neolithic and Eneolithic pottery (organic residues, birch bark tar) found at sites located in the Lake Onega environs and the southwestern White Sea region. The studied pottery types include Sperrings 1, Säräisniemi 1, Pit-Comb, Comb-Pit, Rhombpit, Zalavruga, Voynavolok, Orovnavolok, and Palayguba Wares. Alongside presenting the dates and the dated shards, the compatibility of the new age determinations with the existing chronologies, as well as their typological and cultural contextualisation and certain potential problems related to their use are discussed. In general, the new AMS-dates do not contradict the wide chronological frames previously presented for the Karelian Republic, and they fit well within the chronological schemes constructed in the neighbouring areas (especially Finland). In many cases, the present material allows the refinement of local chronology, but also points out problems in temporal constructions and typologies. Overall, the data is still limited, and different areas and periods are unevenly represented. In addition, the likely sources of error must be subjected for detailed studies in the future – this includes the (freshwater) reservoir effect, even if the present data does not give clear evidence of its systematic presence.
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In Finnish periodization Kierikki Ware is classified as a Middle Neolithic asbestos (and organic) tempered pottery type. It was originally introduced through materials found at the Kierikkisaari site, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, but... more
In Finnish periodization Kierikki Ware is classified as a Middle Neolithic asbestos (and organic) tempered pottery type. It was originally introduced through materials found at the Kierikkisaari site, Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland, but since its tentative description in the 1960s no further research on this type has been done. This article presents the chronological context of Kierikki Ware based on a series of recently obtained AMS-dates, as well as discusses its parallels among the contemporary potteries from Finland and Republic of Karelia (Russia). As a conclusion it is argued that the ceramic assemblage accumulated at the Kierikkisaari site cannot be comprehended as a separate, clearly-defined pottery type but rather represents the general characteristics of cultural fragmentation in Northeastern Europe during the middle and second half of the 4th millennium BC.
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This article discusses a radiocarbon-based chronology for the Neolithic–Eneolithic period in the present-day Republic of Karelia (Russian Federation). The main goal is to present all currently available radiocarbon datings, including the... more
This article discusses a radiocarbon-based chronology for the Neolithic–Eneolithic period in the present-day Republic of Karelia (Russian Federation). The main goal is to present all currently available radiocarbon datings, including the previously published dates, as well as the ones recently obtained by the authors. In total, there are 194 dates from 77 sites covering the period from the 6th to the 2nd millennium cal BC. Besides providing an up-to-date list of datings, the article also evaluates their reliability and utility in building a local chronology. Despite several shortcomings, the new AMS-supported chronology enables the study of past cultural dynamics in much greater detail than previously and allows its better integration into the wider north-east European chronological framework.
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This paper discusses the basis of Neolithic periodisation used in mainland Finland. It is suggested that the periodisation should be revised: the boundary between the Middle and Late Neolithic periods should be moved to correspond with... more
This paper discusses the basis of Neolithic periodisation used in mainland Finland. It is suggested that the periodisation should be revised: the boundary between the Middle and Late Neolithic periods should be moved to correspond with the appearance of Corded Ware (c. 2800 cal BC), and the term ‘Final Neolithic’ introduced to cover the final centuries of the Neolithic. This kind of division would reflect changes in the cultural development better than that currently in use. In addition, the chronological frames for the pottery types dated between the late 6th and mid-4th millennium cal BC, i.e. the Early Neolithic and the beginning of Middle Neolithic, are presented.
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Анализируются изменения в использовании разных типов сырья для производства каменных орудий в регионе озера Сайма в Восточной Финляндии во время распространения традиции типичной гребенчато-ямочной керамики в 4 тыс. до н.э. Полученные... more
Анализируются изменения в использовании разных типов сырья для производства каменных орудий в регионе озера Сайма в Восточной Финляндии во время распространения традиции типичной гребенчато-ямочной керамики в 4 тыс. до н.э. Полученные результаты позволяют предположить проникновение в южную часть региона нового населения в результате миграции и постепенное развитие социальных контактов с населением северной части. Рассматриваются возможности моделирования древних систем социальных связей в регионе.
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The adoption of pottery in eastern Fennoscandia in the later sixth millennium BC has traditionally been understood in straightforward technological and practical terms, and as a development that did not mark other significant changes in... more
The adoption of pottery in eastern Fennoscandia in the later sixth millennium BC has traditionally been understood in straightforward technological and practical terms, and as a development that did not mark other significant changes in local culture or ways of life. Recent research in the region, combined with new ideas about Neolithization in Eurasia more generally, nonetheless suggests that the adoption of pottery was associated with more fundamental cultural and environmental transformations than has previously been thought. This article brings together diverse old and new data from northeastern Europe and discusses the character and dynamics of cultural and human-induced environmental change following the adoption of pottery. The aim is to provide a scenario of long-term cultural changes and, in particular, to consider the significance and broader implications of the very practices of clay use and cultivation, as well as their links to wider cultural and environmental phenomena.
Research Interests:
Archaeology, Pottery (Archaeology), Material Culture Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Human-Environment Relations, and 17 moreNeolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Materiality (Anthropology), Plant domestication (Prehistoric Archaeology), Archaeological Theory, Ceramics (Archaeology), Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Neolithic Transition, Neolithic Europe, Material Culture, Prehistory, Neolithic, Scandinavian Archaeology, Prehistoric Figurines, Early Neolithic pottery technology, Anthropomorphic Figurines, and Prehistoric agriculture
Research Interests:
В северо-восточной Европе самая древняя керамика датируется второй половиной 6 тыс. до н.э., она представлена керамикой сперрингс и сярясниеми 1. В дальнейшем, в 5 тыс. до н. э., появляется керамика ямочно-гребенчатой культуры и ранняя... more
В северо-восточной Европе самая древняя керамика датируется второй половиной 6 тыс. до н.э., она представлена керамикой сперрингс и сярясниеми 1. В дальнейшем, в 5 тыс. до н. э., появляется керамика ямочно-гребенчатой культуры и ранняя асбестовая керамика.cВ данном исследовании представлено 20 новых АМС-датировок для этих керамических типов, полученныхcпо нагару с керамики из Финляндии и северо-западной России. Также обсуждается время появления и распространения керамики в этой области.
Research Interests:
In Finland, the Neolithic period begins with the appearance of ceramics ca. 5200 calBC and ends at the beginning of the Bronze Age ca. 1800 calBC. The co-occurrence of widespread and abundant flint import and Typical Comb Ware pottery... more
In Finland, the Neolithic period begins with the appearance of ceramics ca. 5200 calBC and ends at the beginning of the Bronze Age ca. 1800 calBC. The co-occurrence of widespread and abundant flint import and Typical Comb Ware pottery (3900–3400 calBC) has been recognised since the very early days of Finnish archaeology, but so far, only one study has quantified the volume of Neolithic flint import to Finland. In general, the exploitation of domestic lithic raw materials has not been quantified at all. The present study provides an overview of the main trends in the use of mineral raw materials that were exploited in knapped tool production during the Neolithic in the Lake Saimaa area, Finnish inland. Firstly, the results show temporal and spatial variation in the selection of raw materials. As expected, the linkage between the heyday of flint import and Typical Comb Ware pottery is clearly visible. Moreover, during the span from the beginning of the Neolithic to the end of the Typical Comb Ware period, the utilisation of high-quality quartzes was very high. On the contrary, the latter part of the Neolithic was completely dominated by the exploitation of vein quartzes. The results also indicate spatio-temporal changes in the used reduction techniques, as well as in the reduction sequences present at the studied sites.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Prehistoric Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Bronze Age Europe (Archaeology), Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Metal Finds (Archaeology), and 10 moreNeolithic Transition, Neolithic Europe, Early Bronze Age (Archaeology), Neolithic, Finland, Eneolithic, Neolithic, Eneolithic, Early Bronze Age, History of Finland, Finnish prehistory, and Archaeolmetallurgy
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Housepits have a remarkably short research history as compared to Fennoscandian archaeological research on the Stone Age in general. The current understanding of the numbers and the distribution of Stone Age housepits in the Nordic... more
Housepits have a remarkably short research history as compared to Fennoscandian archaeological research on the Stone Age in general. The current understanding of the numbers and the distribution of Stone Age housepits in the Nordic countries has, for the most part, been shaped by archaeological studies carried out over the last twenty to thirty years.
The main subjects of this research are Neolithic housepits, which are archaeological remains of semi-subterranean pithouses. This dissertation consists of five peer-reviewed articles and a synthesis paper. The articles deal with the development of housepits as seen in the data gathered from Finland (the Lake Saimaa area and south-eastern Finland) and Russia (the Karelian Isthmus). This synthesis expands the discussion of the changes observed in the Papers to include Fennoscandian housepit research as a whole.
Certain changes in the size, shape, environmental location, and clustering of housepits extended into various cultures and ecological zones in northern Fennoscandia. Previously, the evolution of housepits has been interpreted to have been caused by the adaptation of Neolithic societies to prevailing environmental circumstances or to re-organization following contacts with the agrarian Corded Ware/Battle Axe Cultures spreading to North. This dissertation argues for two waves of change in the pithouse building tradition. Both waves brought with them certain changes in the pithouses themselves and
in the practices of locating the dwellings in the environment/landscape. The changes in housepits do not go hand in hand with other changes in material culture, nor are
the changes restricted to certain ecological environments. Based on current information, it appears that the changes relate primarily to the spread of new concepts of housing and possibly to new technology, as opposed to representing merely a local
response to environmental factors. This development commenced already before the birth of the Corded Ware/Battle Axe Cultures. Therefore, the changes are argued to have resulted from the spreading of new ideas through the same networks that actively distributed commodities, exotic goods, and raw materials over vast areas between the southern Baltic Sea, the north-west Russian forest zone, and Fennoscandia.
The main subjects of this research are Neolithic housepits, which are archaeological remains of semi-subterranean pithouses. This dissertation consists of five peer-reviewed articles and a synthesis paper. The articles deal with the development of housepits as seen in the data gathered from Finland (the Lake Saimaa area and south-eastern Finland) and Russia (the Karelian Isthmus). This synthesis expands the discussion of the changes observed in the Papers to include Fennoscandian housepit research as a whole.
Certain changes in the size, shape, environmental location, and clustering of housepits extended into various cultures and ecological zones in northern Fennoscandia. Previously, the evolution of housepits has been interpreted to have been caused by the adaptation of Neolithic societies to prevailing environmental circumstances or to re-organization following contacts with the agrarian Corded Ware/Battle Axe Cultures spreading to North. This dissertation argues for two waves of change in the pithouse building tradition. Both waves brought with them certain changes in the pithouses themselves and
in the practices of locating the dwellings in the environment/landscape. The changes in housepits do not go hand in hand with other changes in material culture, nor are
the changes restricted to certain ecological environments. Based on current information, it appears that the changes relate primarily to the spread of new concepts of housing and possibly to new technology, as opposed to representing merely a local
response to environmental factors. This development commenced already before the birth of the Corded Ware/Battle Axe Cultures. Therefore, the changes are argued to have resulted from the spreading of new ideas through the same networks that actively distributed commodities, exotic goods, and raw materials over vast areas between the southern Baltic Sea, the north-west Russian forest zone, and Fennoscandia.
Book review: Georg Haggrén, Petri Halinen, Mika Lavento, Sami Raninen & Anna Wessman: Muinaisuutemme jäljet: Suomen esi- ja varhaishistoria kivikaudelta keskiajalle. Gaudeamus, Helsinki 2015. 619 s.