M. A. Castrén and his Archaeological Research in Russia and Siberia

The Finnish researcher Matthias Alexander Castrén (1813–1852) carried out several excavations and archaeological surveys during his expeditions through Lapland, northern Russia, and southern Siberia between 1838 and 1849. This article presents a preliminary overview of his fieldwork, methods, and scholarly background in archaeology. Castrén represented a holistic view of cultural research, but showed signs of growing independence of its different realms. Castrén had adopted a view of stratigraphy and an idea of a sequence of different successive periods. On the other hand, his documentation could not compete with the most advanced archaeologists of his time. Castrén’s archaeological results soon became outdated, but he provided an important pattern for future generations during the next hundred years

Aarne Michaël Tallgren, Estonia, and Tartu in 1920 : The image of a country in correspondence

The internationally renowned Finnish archaeologist Aarne Michael Tallgren (1885-1945) was appointed as the first professor of Estonian and Nordic archaeology at the University of Tartu in June of 1920, and he served as professor until the spring of 1923. What did Estonia, Tartu, and conditions there represent for him before he moved to Tartu? What was his idea of Estonia like, especially in relation to his identity? How and why did his view change during the autumn term of 1920? The article is based mainly on the correspondence between Tallgren and his parents and siblings at home. Tallgren's image of Estonia and Tartu, and of his own place in the community there, his attitude towards his duties as a professor, his concept of the possible development of Estonian society, and his relationship with his home during his Tartu period were formed in constant interaction with one other. Up to the autumn of 1920, Tallgren's image of Estonia was based on prehistory and some general stereotypes. His tour in the spring of 1920 made him think of Estonia as a part of his own field of work. His letters document a development process in the course of which Tallgren attempted to formulate his conception of his own duties and how he could carry them out. After settling in Tartu, Tallgren attempted to overcome the otherness Estonia represented for him by searching for features reminiscent of what he knew from home. He also tried to make his identity formation process seem as simple as possible, maybe to soothe the fears of his parents or to allow himself to settle down in a new environment. In any case, he apparently calmed down again during his first term as professor. This process may have been influenced by the stabilising political situation, the peace treaty between Estonia and Soviet Russia in February, and the parliamentary elections in November. Although a temporal relationship between the events can be seen, a causal one cannot be verified. Socially, Tallgren belonged to the community of Finnish professors in Tartu that included some Swedish professors, but like most other Finns, knowing the Estonian language meant that they did not withdraw into their own group but were able to establish and maintain contacts with local people as well. Tallgren's image of Estonia and Tartu was based on the context of his own life and professional background rather than on the events of the day. As an archaeologist and cultural historian, he sought historical explanations of what he saw and experienced around him. In the latter field it was crucial for his experience that he could convince himself and his siblings in Finland that the uncertainty he had felt about the circumstances in the spring had been unnecessary.Peer reviewe

Concept validation as a part of development of a new ERP system

Tämä diplomityö on tehty osana TuoHa II -hanketta, jossa luotiin konsepti uuden sukupolven toiminnanohjausjärjestelmälle. Työssä esitellään konseptin havainnollistamisen ja arvioinnin vaihe. Konseptia havainnollistettiin käyttäjille käyttöliittymäprototyypillä sekä kuvakäsikirjoitusten avulla. Prototyypillä käyttäjille esiteltiin uutta käyttöliittymää sekä uusia toiminnallisuuksia. Kuvakäsikirjoituksin esitettiin teemat, joita olisi teemojen luonteen vuoksi ollut haastava havainnollistaa prototyypissä. Työssä esitellään käytettyjen menetelmien avulla konseptista kerätty palaute sekä niistä tehdyt johtopäätökset konseptin jatkokehityksen tueksi. Palaute oli pääosin positiivista ja esitettyjen toiminnallisuuksien koettiin olevan tarpeellisia. Lopuksi saadun palautteen perusteella pohditaan syitä siihen, mitkä tekijät ovat voineet vaikuttaa käyttäjien antamaan palautteeseen ja arvioidaan käytettyjen menetelmien soveltuvuutta tässä työssä.This master's thesis has been made in TuoHa II - research project, in which a concept for a new ERP system has been developed. This thesis covers the validation phase of the concept development process and also the concept visualization methods used in this project are presented. The goals of this thesis are to discuss the feedback gathered from users and to find out the elements that affected the feedback. The concept was visualized with user interface prototype and storyboards. The prototype, with some new functions and low level of functionality, was presented to the users. Storyboards were used to present themes, which would have been difficult to demonstrate with the prototype. As a result, the feedback gathered with different methods is presented and some conclusions are drawn to support further development of the concept. Feedback was mainly positive and the presented functionalities considered useful. Finally, the elements that might have affected the level of the feedback are discussed and the suitability of the selected methods is evaluated

Suomalais-ugrilaisuuden aate ja tiede: Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura 1883–2008

Marraskuussa 1883 perustettiin ”Suomalais-Ugrilainen Seura kieli-, muinais- ja kansa-tiedettä sekä muinaishistoriaa varten”. Vaikka seura sääntöjensä mukaan oli pelkästään tieteellinen, suomalais-ugrilaisuus oli seuran perustajille ja johtomiehille myös aate, osa suomalaisen kansallisuuden rakennustyötä. Se vei seuran ajoittain tasapainoilemaan tieteellisen tehtävän ja heimotunteen rajamailla. Venäjän-yhteyksien katkettua 1910-luvun lopussa seura ajautui kriisiin, josta sen nosti vuonna 1930 käynnistetty ainestenjulkaisuohjelma. Vain vähitellen hiipuva pyrkimys päästä jatkamaan aineistonkeruuta idässä leimasi seuran vaiheita 1980-luvulle asti. Kansainvälisen fennougristisen kentän laajentuessa seuran asema yhtenä alansa huomattavimpana keskuksena ja julkaisijana kuitenkin vain korostui