Index Archaeology Maintenance The Archaeological Heritage The Prehistory of Finland

The Prehistory of Finland

Finnish prehistory began c. 10.000 years ago. At the end of the Ice Age groups of people followed large prey animals as they migrated into Finland. Elk, bear, and beaver were particularly sought after, while coastal resources included seals and fish. The earliest stage of the occupation is called the Stone Age (c. 8000–1300 BC). During the Stone Age, weapons, tools, and ornaments were made of stone or of organic materials such as wood, bone, or antler. Making pottery began c. 4500 BC. Although hunting, fishing, and collecting indigenous plants were the main means of subsistence, agriculture and cattle breeding made their first appearance at the very end of the Stone Age.

The Bronze Age (c. 1300– 500 BC) differed from the Stone Age mainly in that bronze implements and new burial customs were introduced into Finland, and western cultural influences increased.  Most of the bronze implements were imported to Finland ready-made, but especially in Eastern Finland, which was part of the influence sphere of the East European Bronze Culture, the art of casting bronze implements was known.  The significance of bronze implements in everyday life was marginal; they were mainly rare status symbols.  In coastal Finland the magnificent cairn burials still remind us of the Bronze Age.  They were usually built on exposed bedrock outcrops near the coastline, but due to land upheaval they may now be located dozens of kilometres inland from the shore.

The adoption of iron manufacture in the Baltic region marked the beginning of a new era in Finnish prehistory.  At the beginning of the Iron Age (c. 500 BC–AD 1150/1300) trade routes changed and bypassed the Finnish coast.  There is little evidence of settlement in southern Finland at this time.  Contacts across the sea were re-established around the birth of Christ.  Evidence of this is seen, for example, in a number of cemeteries that demonstrate both active trade and the arrival of immigrants on the Finnish coast.  In the course of the Iron Age, agriculture and cattle breeding became more and more important, developing gradually into the main means of subsistence, alongside hunting and fishing.  At the same time human settlement in southern Finland became more concentrated: individual farms evolved into farm clusters.  Several historically known Mediaeval villages had their origins in the Iron Age.