Elisabeth Holmqvist-Sipilä

During the 4th millennium BC, an intensive artefact circulation system existed among the hunter-gatherer peoples of northeastern Europe. Along with other goods, ring-shaped ornaments that were mainly made of different kinds of slates or tuffites were commonly distributed. Although commonly referred to as 'slate rings', these ornaments consist mainly of fragments of rings. In this paper, we suggest that the 'slate rings' were never meant to be intact, complete rings, but were instead fragmented on purpose and used as tokens of social relationships relating to the gift-giving system. By refitting artefact fragments together, analysing their geochemical composition, micro details, and use-wear, we were able to prove that these items were not only intentionally fragmented but also likely worn as personal ornaments. Moreover, ED-XRF analysis of 56 of the artefacts showed a correlation between their geochemical characteristics and stylistic detailing, suggesting different production phases or batches. Comparative data analysis confirmed the provenance hypothesis that the majority of the analysed objects, or at least their raw materials, were exported over hundreds of kilometres from the Lake Onega region.

We report on ceramic and glaze chemical and technological data on lead-glazed redware pottery, sampled from late medieval, ca. 14th-17th century CE contexts at five sites across the Gulf of Finland, in modern Finland and Estonia. Redware pots first arrived in this region as Scandinavian and Continental imports, and their local manufacture was established in the 15th-16th centuries. We aimed to chemically characterize ceramic and glaze recipes, distinguish between local and imported redware pots at the sites, and to examine glaze preparation and application practices used. Altogether 34 sherds of ceramic artefacts from three hamlet sites in the Helsinki region (Gubbacka, Mankby and Mårtensby), and the towns of Turku and Tallinn were geochemically and microstructurally analysed by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The majority of the analysed pots were made of clay originating from the Gulf of Finland region, produced at least in Turku and highly likely in Tallinn. Redware was also exchanged between these trading areas. High-lead-content (PbO < 67 wt%) glazes, sometimes opacified with tin, were applied as lead-oxide itself or as a lead-oxide-plus-sand mixture on unfired non-calcareous, iron-rich ceramic bodies. This glazing technology to produce impermeable pots was achievable at relatively low temperatures and cost, hence it was commonly adopted by ceramic producers in the North, and stayed in vogue for centuries. Redware pots from different sources appear visually and morphologically related, yet microstructural inspection reveals varied glazing technologies.

This article presents the results of the first-ever lead isotope (LI) analysis of copper-based archaeological artefacts found in the region of Finland. Eight metal objects recovered from the Iron Age water burial site of Levänluhta in western Finland were analysed via multi collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) and portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) in order to attain geochemical and LI data. The majority of the objects are Merovingian period (ca. 550-800 CE) jewellery, displaying domestic Iron Age artefact styles, and were probably cast by local workshops in Finland. Until recently, the copper exploited in Bronze and Iron Age metallurgy in Finland had been linked to Scandinavian ores. However, this provenance scenario seems implausible in the light of recent LI studies demonstrating that Scandinavian Bronze Age artisans in fact relied on long-distance metal transport. Comparisons between the LI data of the analysed objects and published ore databases exclude the possibility of a domestic or Scandinavian copper source for the metals. Instead, it appears likely that the copper originated from southern European ores. The low arsenic and antimony levels in the copper alloys provide indication of long recycling patterns of the metals used in the Iron Age workshops in Finland. It is possible that the Iron Age artefacts contain recycled copper-alloys already acquired in the Bronze Age. The metals were transported for long distances, and it appears that the pan-European metal circulation network also crossed the Baltic Sea to reach coastal Finland.

This paper reviews radiocarbon dates from the Late Neolithic Corded Ware Culture (CWC) contexts in Finland. The authors have recently published new CWC radiocarbon dates as a part of their multi-site geochemical provenance investigation of CWC pottery recovered from archaeological contexts in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. In this paper, the new and old radiocarbon dates are modelled using a Bayesian phase model to identify outliers in the data set and elaborate the new dates within the wider picture of the CWC absolute chronology of the study area. Timeframe 2900–2200 calBC is suggested for the CWC in Finland.

The Neolithic Corded Ware Culture (CWC) complex spread across the Baltic Sea region ca. 2900/2800–2300/2000 BCE. Whether this cultural adaptation was driven by migration or diffusion remains widely debated. To gather evidence for contact and movement in the CWC material culture, grog-tempered CWC pots from 24 archaeological sites in southern Baltoscandia (Estonia and the southern regions of Finland and Sweden) were sampled for geochemical and micro-structural analyses. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) were used for geochemical discrimination of the ceramic fabrics to identify regional CWC pottery-manufacturing traditions and ceramic exchange. Major and minor element concentrations in the ceramic body matrices of 163 individual vessels and grog temper (crushed pottery) present in the ceramic fabrics were measured by SEM-EDS. Furthermore, the high-sensitivity PIXE technique was applied for group confirmation. The combined pot and grog matrix data reveal eight geochemical clusters. At least five geochemical groups appeared to be associated with specific find locations and regional manufacturing traditions. The results indicated complex inter-site and cross-Baltic Sea pottery exchange patterns, which became more defined through the grog data, i.e., the previous generations of pots. The CWC pottery exhibited high technological standards at these latitudes, which, together with the identified exchange patterns and the existing evidence of mobility based on human remains elsewhere in the CWC complex, is indicative of the relocation of skilled potters, possibly through exogamy. An analytical protocol for the geochemical discrimination of grog-tempered pottery, and its challenges and possibilities, is presented.

The wetland find in Levänluhta (western Finland) consists of unburnt, mixed up remains from almost 100 human individuals along with artefacts and animal bones. This spring site, a small lake at the time of use (ad 300–800), has been investigated archaeologically from the late nineteenth century onwards. An impressive array of finds, including precious artefacts, is on display at the National Museum of Finland. However, the material has not previously been subjected to systematic research to clarify who these people were, and why they were buried in a small lake at a time when cremation was the prevailing burial tradition. Here we present the results of a multidisciplinary study that includes new analyses and interpretations of the finds and the site. Prestigious artefacts, peripheral location, and the fact that only a few males were found suggest this unusual burial site was a cemetery for socially or ideologically deviant members of the society.

Waterways have been key factors in the development of societies from prehistoric times to nowadays, particularly due to their role as vectors for cultural interactions, material exchange, and transmission of knowledge. The fluidity of these highways of transport and communications is tightly linked to the presence of transit points: spaces with unique geographical characteristics that acted as nodal points between different communities. Taking all this into account, an interdisciplinary perspective with a focus on human-environment interactions is necessary. This sort of approach can help set forth more nuanced theories regarding the relation between social systems and their environment, using data obtained through different disciplines such as iconography, law, computer modelling, ethnography, geography, history, linguistics, environmental sciences, and so on. This conference seeks to challenge the interaction between models and particular case studies. To this aim, we would like to invite proposals from scholars conducting research in different fields whose focus is human activities in rivers, sea-river, and coastal transit points with a broad geographic and chronological perspective. With this interdisciplinary approach, we expect to demonstrate what can be achieved by changing the research paradigm to one that fully embraces the nuances of the aquatic world, and specially the intricate connection between water spaces and humans. For more information concerning the conference, visit:

https://blogs.helsinki.fi/downbythewater/