Landscape archaeology and Sámi ritual landscapes: Examples from Ukonsaari, Juuvaara and Taatsi

This article discusses landscape archaeology using as an example the spatial analysis of the Sámi ritual landscapes in Finnish Lapland. The concepts of comprehensiveness and temporality are taken into consideration within the cultural landscape. The location of the Sámi ritual landscapes is analysed with geographic information systems (GIS). My aim is to concentrate on the ritual places as part of a wider context - the landscape. My interest lies more in the nature of ritual places than in their classification. The sieidi should be viewed in connection with their environment

From Fell Tops to StandingStones: Sacred Landscapes

In this article, I present sacred places in northern Finland. The sacred places differ greatly from those in southern Finland. This is due to the different cultural tradition. Sacred sites in the north can broadly be divided into three groups: terrain formation, natural objects and structures. I concentrate on offering places, called sieidi (SaaN), which were used by the ancestors of the modern Sámi. Meat, antlers and metal, and in later times alcohol, were offered in order to gain success at hunting. A prominent feature in sieidi places is their heterogeneity and the long tradition of use attached to them. Key words: sacred landscape, sieidi, Sámi, northern Finland.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/ab.v15i1.1

Taavetti Lukkarisen hirttopuu muistamisen ja perinnöllistymisen paikkana

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Acoustic Measurements at the Rock Painting of Värikallio, Northern Finland

In Northern Finland, by the rock painting of Värikallio (ca. 3000–500 BC), several echoes can be heard. The most remarkable of these appear to be originating from the painted rock itself. The article presents the first results of the research project that seeks to explore the role of sound in the development and use of Finnish rock art and Sámi offering sites. Field recordings, made at the site of Värikallio in summer 2013, are analyzed with a sound analysis and visualization toolkit, and interpreted with the help of GIS data and a 3D model of the site. A probable depiction of a drummer, identified in the painting in the course of the fieldwork, provides a further clue to the significance of sound rituals at rock paintings.Non peer reviewe

Introduction : Entangled rituals and beliefs from contemporary times to prehistory

Non peer reviewe

Acoustic measurements and digital image processing suggest a link between sound rituals and sacred sites in northern Finland

In northern Finland, near the canyon lakes of Julma-Ölkky, Somerjärvi and Rotkojärvi, steep rock cliffs produce distinctive acoustic spaces. On these cliffs, prehistoric rock paintings (5200 to 1000 BC) as well as an ancient Sámi offering site (circa 1100 to present) can be found. Ethnographic sources describe that the Sámi used to sing and listen to echoes while making offerings there. This article presents the results of an archaeoacoustic research project that seeks to explore the role of sound in the development and use of these archaeological sites. The innovative set of methods includes multichannel impulse response recording, angle-of-arrival estimation of early reflections, spectrum analysis, digital image processing and 3D laser scanning. On the basis of the analyses, it is concluded that the cliffs that have been painted or held as sacred are efficient sound reflectors. They create discrete echoes and, accordingly, phantom sound sources. Especially at the Värikallio cliff near Lake Somerjärvi, the sound appears to emanate directly from the painted figures. These results, together with previously unnoticed drumming figures in the Värikallio painting, provide a clue to the significance of the sound rituals at these sacred sites.Peer reviewe

"Traces of our ancient religion". Meaning-making and Shamanism at Sami Offering Places at the Isogaisa Festival, Northern Norway

In 2010, the first shaman festival to be held in the Nordic countries opened its doors to the public in the county of Lavangen, Northern Norway (Fig. 1). The festival is named Isogaisa and presented as an indigenous festival highlighting the spiritual traditions of indigenous people. At this annual festival, shamans from all over the world gather to perform ceremonies and exchange knowledge