Amber and Stone Age hunter-gatherer burials on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea

Non peer reviewe

Boreal fisher-hunter-gatherers under external pressure: Interactions with advancing pastoralists and farmers

Non peer reviewe

Quantifying Mineral Raw Materials in Neolithic Knapped Tool Production in the Lake Saimaa Area, Finnish Inland

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

Archaeological survey in Kaukola and Räisälä in 1999 and a study of environmental settings of the Stone Age dwelling sites in the area

The former municipalities of Kaukola and Räisälä, located in the Karelian Isthmus, Russia, have been known to be rich in Stone Age sites and finds from the late 19th century on. This paper presents the general outline of the research history of the Stone Age and Early Metal Period and the results of an archaeological survey conducted in the area in 1999 by Finnish and Russian researchers. The paper also serves as a short study of the environmental settings of the Stone Age dwelling sites in the area. This analysis follows the method adopted in the studies of the Lake Saimaa area, Finland. As a result, a tentative overview of preferred environments of Stone Age sites can be presented. In general, sheltered locations along the shores of bays and fjords were preferred. Areas on and around eskers, on the mainland coast, and on islands adjacent to coastal waterways were the most intensively used. Also junctions of several routes seem to have been utilized often. There seem to be differences in the location of the sites classified as extended activity sites and as limited activity sites. The limited activity sites have more variation in their environmental settings, probably reflecting their more varied purposes. However, due to the shortcomings of the material used in this study, the question about the purpose, function, and duration of use of the sites cannot be concluded solely according to the criteria used here. Further research on their nature is necessary

Archaeological research in the former municipalities of Koivisto and Kuolemajarvi, Karelian Isthmus in 2003: results and observations

This paper presents the archaeological studies conducted by Finnish and Russian researchers in 2003 in the former municipalities of Koivisto and Kuolemajarvi in the Karelian Isthmus. The environmental history and archaeological research history of the area are also summarized. Short surveys and small-scale test excavations at three sites revealed the long time span and versatility of the prehistoric habitation in the area. The oldest sites located in the surveys seem to date from the Mesolithic period. A test excavation was carried out at one of these sites. The whole Neolithic period also seems to be represented, and one of the test-excavated sites dates to the Early Metal period based on the presence of a Textile-impressed Ware pot broken in situ. The area holds high research potential for further prehistoric studies