Lipid residues in early hunter-gatherer ceramics from Finland

The adoption of pottery technology by hunter-gatherers in the Baltic region has mainly been placed within the concept of resource intensification, as a cultural choice that assisted an increased economic focus on aquatic resources. In Finland, a non-specialized pottery use has earlier been suggested on the basis of lipid residue analysis data for Early Neolithic ceramics from a number of sites on the south-west coast that involve processing of both aquatic and terrestrial animal products. Our study is an attempt to further explore the relationship between the early pottery use, diet and environment in this particular region. For this purpose, we expanded the range of early pottery traditions and localities to be analyzed, and applied gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis on the absorbed lipid residues. The study material comprises ceramics of the Säräisniemi 1 (Sär 1),Sperrings 1 (Ka I:1) and Sperrings 2 (Ka I:2) pottery traditions, as well as of the Jäkärlä Ware group,from coastal and inland sites spanning a period from ca. 5100 to 4000 cal BC. Our results strengthen the above observation for Early Neolithic Finland and further suggest that both aquatic and terrestrial animal resources were processed in vessels belonging to most of the analyzed groups, irrespective of coastal/inland site division and pottery ware culture. This additionally indicates a variability of motives behind the introduction of pottery within the Baltic Sea region, considering pottery use evidence in the neighbouring Estonia, where the earliest local and contemporaneous Narva pottery culture had a more specialized use focused on the processing of aquatic resources.Peer reviewe

The chronology of Jäkärlä Ware : Bayesian interpretation of the old and new radiocarbon dates from Early and Middle Neolithic southwest Finland

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Materialising the Social Relationships of Hunter-Gatherers : Archaeological and Geochemical Analyses of 4th Millennium BC ‘Slate Ring Ornaments’ from Finland

During the 4th millennium BC, an intensive artefact circulation system existed among the hunter-gatherer peoples of north-eastern 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.Peer reviewe

The Chronology of Corded Ware Culture in Finland - Reviewing New Data

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.Peer reviewe

Research on the Mesolithic of North Karelia in 2003–2017 - Implications for the early postglacial archaeology of Northern Europe

In this paper we describe the results of small-scale archaeological fieldwork projects carried out i North Karelia, Finland, in 2003–2014, which ended up having a far greater research impact than anyone could have anticipated. The projects yielded a multitude of new and relevant information, especially on the Early Mesolithic, including the earliest radiocarbon dates for human occupation in Eastern Fennoscandia. Results of this research have been published in a variety of venues. We use this opportunity to present the first summary of these results and to emphasize that even with discontinuous short-term funding it is possible to carry out ambitious and influential research. Over the years, Karelia has been one of the main focus areas of Mika Lavento’s research. We want to honour Mika’s 60th birthday by providing an overview of the results of our studies conducted in the northern parts of this large geographical and administrative area.Peer reviewe

Research on the Mesolithic of North Karelia in 2003–2017 - Implications for the early postglacial archaeology of Northern Europe

In this paper we describe the results of small-scale archaeological fieldwork projects carried out i North Karelia, Finland, in 2003–2014, which ended up having a far greater research impact than anyone could have anticipated. The projects yielded a multitude of new and relevant information, especially on the Early Mesolithic, including the earliest radiocarbon dates for human occupation in Eastern Fennoscandia. Results of this research have been published in a variety of venues. We use this opportunity to present the first summary of these results and to emphasize that even with discontinuous short-term funding it is possible to carry out ambitious and influential research. Over the years, Karelia has been one of the main focus areas of Mika Lavento’s research. We want to honour Mika’s 60th birthday by providing an overview of the results of our studies conducted in the northern parts of this large geographical and administrative area.Peer reviewe

Tracing Grog and Pots to Reveal Neolithic Corded Ware Culture Contacts in the Baltic Sea Region (SEM-EDS, PIXE)

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. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe