Seals as a ritual signifier : re-evaluating the Ålandic clay paw burial rite

Peer reviewe

Stone foundation houses of the Late Iron Age and early medieval Åland and new C14-dates from the settlment of Kulla

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge of Late Iron Age (AD 550-1050) and early medieval (AD 1050-1300) stone foundation houses and -sites on the Åland Islands. More than a quarter of known houses and sites have been subjected to archaeological excavation, most of them over 50 years ago. Many investigations have not been published and research is suffering from speculative and loosely founded generalisations covering long periods of time. In this article, I will compile and compare the excavated and documented stone foundation house-sites to each other, examining their differences and shared similarities providing a qualitative description. The lack of solid chronology is a major obstacle in drawing conclusions of a more general character. New radiocarbon dates are presented from the seven stone foundation houses at the settlement site in Kulla reliably anchoring this site in its chronology.Peer reviewe

The archaeologists within: Uniting different interests in heritage within a contentious setting

In this article, I argue for the value of community inclusion, transparency, and engagement in efforts to change attitudes towards archaeology, using a case from Åland, an autonomous archipelago in the Baltic Sea. With its own legislation concerning the protection of archaeological sites, archaeology on Åland has been a contentious subject for decades. This culminated in 2013 with the controversial trial and conviction of a family for severely and knowingly damaging one of the Stone Age sites on Åland. Against this backdrop, I initiated a project concerning an Iron Age settlement site. I discuss my experience of setting up an independent research project with a focus on publicly engaged archaeology and storytelling within an initially hostile framework, and in a region where archaeology is highly professionalized. The article also illustrates how friction around a community-oriented project can arise between stakeholders as a result of the social dynamics of archaeology itself.Peer reviewe

The Kvarnbo Hall : Reconsidering the Importance of the Late Iron Age Åland Islands

This article accounts for and contextualizes a newly discovered monumental longhouse, a potential hall from the Late Iron Age, on the Aland Islands, Finland. The 45m long building and its location are discussed in regional and historical context, in comparison to the full data set of coeval houses on Aland, and are argued to signal a social stratification, manifesting a higher level of achievement in this Late Iron Age society. This is further examined in the context of Iron Age settlement development. A rapid and large-scale colonization to Aland, evident in the middle of the first millennium AD, is for the first time explanatorily discussed, addressing the question of why this process occurred. Sudden population growth is linked in part to large-scale climatic disturbances, with fatal consequences in those areas of heavy agricultural dependency, forcing population movement to Aland driven by the presence of maritime resources, particularly seals, and available land.Peer reviewe

Maritime Archaeology in Finland : History and Future Tasks

This article provides an account of the history, present state, and possible future directions of Finnish maritime archaeology in order to elucidate certain aspects characteristic of the field. In the Finnish context, academia and the heritage sector are historically interconnected, and professionals have successfully assumed responsibilities in both. Research opportunities, however, have been more numerous at the Finnish Heritage Agency (FHA) than in academia, whereas the focus has been on well-preserved wrecks mainly from seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This can be explained by the great number of registered shipwrecks from the historical periods being managed by the FHA. Well-preserved shipwrecks are also central for hobby divers’ interest that has been historically paramount for the development of the field. At the same time, discontinuities in academic training of maritime archaeologists have created a situation where opportunities for long-term and in-depth research at universities have been few. Future prospects of Finnish maritime archaeology are discussed with respect to the current state, and the interconnectedness of the heritage management sector, academically trained maritime archaeologists, and avocational diving societies and volunteers is emphasised as a key element in continued development.Peer reviewe

Social Buildings : Soil geochemistry and anthropogenic patterns from Late Iron Age Finland

We present geochemical data of soils sampled from two Late Iron Age (a.d. 550–1050) buildings at Bartsgårda on the Åland Islands, Finland. The houses had different constructions and use-patterns, one being an intensively used dwelling house, rich in finds, whereas the other, scarce in finds, had a more specialized character, linked to ceremonial rather than domestic activities. Systematic and targeted feature sampling was carried out to analyze 190 samples using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) to 1) identify floor/activity levels in the houses based on vertical and horizontal geochemical anomalies; 2) compare the anthropogenic activity signals of the buildings; and, 3) test a rapid and cost-efficient ex situ analytical strategy for geochemical characterization of archaeological soils. Although the long-term use of the site as a livestock paddock introduced some complexities, based on the geochemical and micromorphological data, the houses had several activity levels and markedly different anthropogenic profiles.Peer reviewe

Long-term Degree Program Success in Maritime Archaeology

Ett magisterprogram i maritim arkeologi planeras vid Helsingfors Universitet, med start 2023 om fakulteten möjliggör dess infogande. Som stöd för planeringen genomfördes en undersökning kring vilka faktorer som inverkar på ett programs framgång. Yrkesverksamma med erfarenhet i högre utbildning inom maritim arkeologi och kulturmiljövård undervatten intervjuades och en online enkät skickades ut. Resultaten från dessa kombinerades i denna rapport tillsammans med en genomgång av litteraturen kring utvecklingen av högre utbildning inom maritim arkeologi. Resultaten indikerar att den vanligaste orsaken för ett utbildningsprogram avvecklas är bristen på kontinuitet när det gäller utbildningspersonalen. Program inom maritim arkeologi drivs oftast av minimal personalstyrka och när en person pensioneras eller lämnar universitetet, så kan det ske att de inte ersätts. Två faktorer som kan förväntas när det kommer till planeringen av läroplanen identifierades som viktiga för att nå framgång. 1) Integration i den övriga undervisningen vid hemmainstitutionen – speciellt i arkeologi, kulturarvsstudier och historia – för att uppnå en avvägd balans mellan teori och praktik. 2) Nära samarbete, engagemang och dialog med andra akademiska och icke-akademiska institutioner och grupperingar för inklusion i utbildningen samt identifikation av behov och förväntningar på läroplaners innehåll hos dessa grupper. Utgående från dessa resultat innehåller rapporten också ett förslag på läroplan i maritim arkeologi.Helsingin yliopistossa suunnitellaan meriarkeologian maisteriohjelmaa. Opetuksen sisältö valmistuu vuonna 2023, mikäli tiedekunta päättää sisällyttää opinto-ohjelman opetussuunnitelmaansa. Opetuksen suunnittelun tueksi tutkittiin, mitkä asiat vaikuttavat opinto-ohjelman pitkän aikavälin menestykseen. Osana tutkimusta haastateltiin meriarkeologian parissa työskenteleviä tai työskennelleitä suomalaisia ja kansainvälisiä ammattilaisia. Lisäksi valikoidulle kansainväliselle joukolle meriarkeologian opetuksessa työskennelleitä tai työskenteleviä ammattilaisia lähetettiin verkkokysely. Haastattelujen ja verkkokyselyn tulokset esitetään tässä raportissa yhdistettynä kirjallisuuskatsauksen pohjalta hahmoteltuihin meriarkeologian opetuksen suunnittelun periaatteisiin ja tavoitteisiin. Meriarkeologian opinto-ohjelmat koostuvat usein hyvin pienestä henkilökunnasta. Tutkimuksen perusteella yleisin syy opinto-ohjelman päättymiselle on se, että eläköityvää tai toisiin tehtäviin siirtyvää henkilökuntaa ei korvata. Tutkimuksen pohjalta voitiin tunnistaa myös kaksi opinto-ohjelman pitkän aikavälin menestykseen positiivisesti vaikuttavaa tekijää, jotka voidaan ottaa huomioon opinto-ohjelman suunnittelussa. 1) Meriarkeologian opetuksen integroiminen samassa yliopistossa tarjottavaan arkeologian, perinnöntutkimuksen ja historian opetukseen. 2) Tiivis yhteistyö ja keskustelu muiden yliopistojen ja sen ulkopuolisten toimijoiden kanssa. Raportti sisältää myös tutkimuksen tulosten perustella laaditun ehdotuksen meriarkeologian opintosuunnitelmaksi.A master’s program in maritime archaeology is planned at the University of Helsinki with inauguration in 2023 if facilitated by the Faculty. In support of this planning, research into what factors contribute to the long-term success of a degree program in maritime archaeology was carried out. Professionals with existing and past work experience in higher education in maritime archaeology and underwater heritage management were interviewed and an online questionnaire was distributed. The interview and questionnaire results are combined in this report with a review of literature in the development of higher education in maritime archaeology. The results indicate that the most common reason for a degree program to be cancelled is staff discontinuity. Maritime archaeology programs are often run with minimum staff and when a person retires or leaves, they may not be replaced. Two factors that can be anticipated in curriculum design were identified as important for the long-term success of a degree program in maritime archaeology. 1) Integration of teaching with other teaching at the home institution, most importantly, archaeology, heritage studies, and history, for careful balance between theory and practice. 2) Close collaboration and engagement in dialogue with other academic and non-academic institutions and communities for successful anticipation of expectations and inclusion in teaching. Drawing from these results the report also includes a suggestion for a curriculum in maritime archaeology

A compositional study of a gold-plated Viking Age pendant from the Åland Islands

Peer reviewe