Thursday 28 March 2019

Looking for accomodation in Hanko during the conflict archaeology excavation July 1-19th ?

Accomodation in Hanko during the “Durchgangslager Hanko 1942-1944” excavation 
July 1st – July 19th



Pensionat Tellina-Thalatta,  Appelgrensvägen 1-2 tfn/fax 019 248 6356

Villa Maija, Appelgrensvägen 7, tfn 050 505 2013

Folkia Center, Esplanaden 61, tfn 010 327 1620

B&B Garbo, Rådmansgatan 8 (Esplanaden 84), tfn 040 542 1732

Hotel Bulevard, Boulevarden 8, tfn 044 988 0886

Hotel Regatta, Torggatan 2, tfn 019 248 6491, 050 306 1900

Hangö Camping Silversand, tfn 019 248 5500

Villa Solgården, Stjärngränd 4, tfn 040 182 3233

Viking Motel, Glasbruksgatan 6, tfn 040 516 3837

Hostell Sjömansro, Hamnvägen 38 - 40, Lappvik, post@sjomansro.fi

Ferie- och kurscentret Högsand, Högsandsvägen 30, Lappvik tfn 019-541 0300

(please also check www.hango.fi)


Friday 22 March 2019

Just confirmed. Community archaeology dig in Lohja 23-27.8.2018

Just confirmed! We will be excavating a stone-age dwelling site in Lohja S. Finland August 23-27th. 2019. Everyone with an interest in archaeology can participate from the 23-25 of August.
The last leg of the excavation is reserved for local schools.

As always no previous knwledge of archaeology is required in rder to participate. We welcome participants of all ages. The excavation will help in preserving part of the interesting  site for future generations!

Winter over the stone-age dwelling site.

The registration starts in mid May (probably May 10th). There is room for 20 persons interested in archaeology!

Thursday 21 March 2019

The circle closes


By Lasse Nyman


Childhood memories,

One of my grandfather’s best friends served in long-range reconnaissance troops 1940-44 and those stories about sabotage and guerrilla warfare operations behind enemy lines were part of my childhood.

A Finnish long-range recoinnassance troop advances in 1941. Photo SA-kuva.

Years passed by, but those stories always stayed in my mind – I remember most of the names, places and the “little boys” excitement that I used to feel when I listened to those stories.
A couple weeks ago we were, once again, in The National Archives of Finland searching for information about Finnish MIA soldiers. We were looking for pieces of the puzzle, that would guide us in the footsteps of those fallen soldiers. After documenting hundreds of pages, I saw one familiar name – a name that was familiar to me from those stories that I listen to as a child. A name that I remember most likely will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Interrogation form April 9th 1945 in the National Archives. Photo Lasse Nyman

That soldier served in long-range reconnaissance troops, with that friend of my grandfather.  He died behind enemy lines in the summer of 1944. One soldier was from that same group was badly injured and captured as a prisoner of war in that same situation.


After the war, POW’s were returned back to Finland and that one soldier who was badly injured and captured was one of them. After reading his interrogation files, I realized that I know that exact place where those files were written. It is one of those "Durchgangslager Hanko" barracks on Cape Tulliniemi which we have researched archaeologically since 2015. 

Interrogation barrack in former "Durchgangslager Hanko". Photo Jan Fast 

Sometimes life guides you back to those childhood memories, in a way that you would never guess - From childhood memories to Karelian Isthmus and back to "Durchgangslager Hanko".

Original lightpost of the interrogation barrack. Photo Jan Fast.

There’s one more thing to do though, that one lost soldier still needs to be found.




Tuesday 19 March 2019

The 2019 JFA community archaeology field season is here!

Last week MA Janne Soisalo and I finished work on the 2018 excavation reports for the archives.

The Archives pre 1940. Photo Sakari Pälsi.

Countless hours of painstaking work and with the thousands and thousands of artefacts, field maps and  other documents associated with field archaeology filled the last days in the Cable Factory workspace.
The JFA and K workspace at "Kaapelitehdas in 2019.

But now it´s all over and it´s time to set the sights on 2019. Interesting community archaeology excavations coming up in  Elimäki, Porvoo, Espoo, Helsinki, Hanko, Lohja, Raseborg and on the island of Kimitoön :)

Corded ware culture on the menu for 2019. Photo Aki Arponen.


Saturday 16 March 2019

WW2 conflict archaeology and repatriation of war dead in Hanko 2019

The 2019 scientific WW2 conflict archaeology field season in Hanko S. Finland is about to get started. We have informed "all parties concerned" about the planned digs and agreed on the interdisciplinary museum and excavation team that will do the actual excavation and documentation work.


A first team meeting is scheduled for next week before the actual fieldwork starts in early May 2019 with the scientific exhumation of six Soviet war dead from 1940-1941 on the Hanko front.


The exhumation is conducted in close co-operation with the Russian Embassy in Finland and "Sotavainajien Muiston Vaalimisyhdistys r.y." and the material remains of the Soviet soldiers will later be reburied at the WW2 war memorial in Täktom, Hanko.


Thursday 14 March 2019

New calibrated radiocarbon dates for potsherds from the Ölmosviken site

In the autumn of 2018 a large representative rimsherd (with pit and other ornaments) from a neolithic pot was excavated from the Ölmosviken site. The charcoal remains from the inside of the potsherd have now been analysed and dated at the University of Uppsala in Sweden.


Rather surprisingly the rimsherd (attributable to the so called "Kiukais" culture in SW Finland) dates to the same time period as the mid to late "Corded Ware" culture in this region. We will of course sample more potsherds for radiocarbon analysis dumany ring the forthcoming field season starting May 20th 2019.

If you wish to participate in our research or hear more about the results please contact us  by sending a letter of interest to jfarchaeology@gmail.com

Please follow our continuing research here:


The interesting results will be published in English before the end of 2021.


Best,

MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo

Wednesday 13 March 2019

Only a few spots left at the Helsinki dig!!

Spring is soon here and the pre registration for the Helsinki dig has been very very busy indeed.

In order to make sure there is oom for locals (from Pitäjänmäki) and participants from the amateur archaeology society ANGO at the dig, we are forced to halt the registration for a short while.

Picture from the trial excavation in 2018.

Please stay in touch with us and ask for cancellations in mid May if you wish to participate in this exiting stone-age excavation in June 2019!

Friday 8 March 2019

The exciting 2019 excavation areas of "Durchgangslager Hanko"

Late last autumn several previously unknown German WW2 dump sites were located during scientific surveying of the former German transition camp. These areas will be excavated July 1st to July 19th 2019 as part of the 6th and last excavation season of this remarkable scientific WW2 conflict archaeology project.
The former German military camp is situated on windy Cape Tulliniemi in Hanko S. Finland.

The finds from the dump sites and areas of activity will hopefully shed more light on the materiality of the Finnish-German "Waffenbrudershaft" 1941-1944.

Nature is slowly taking over again and covering the remaining "Baracke" 

Despite its dark history the area is very beautiful and full of surprises for the occasional visitor. The rich birdlife is one think to admire another one is the stunning ever changing seascape.

The northern beach is mostly made up of pebbles.

Many different remains of Hitlers war in the north can be discovered under the topsoil. The finds illustrate the daily life of the soldiers in the camp. Men and women caught "in transit"between the frontline and home.
"Sterbebilder", faces of German soldiers who visited Durchgangslager Hanko and met their end on the "Nordfront"

Join us in our quest to find out more about the history of the camp and the German soldiers who passed here from 1942 to 1944. Send a letter of interest to jfarchaeology@gmail.com if you wish to participate in the 2019 excavation or register at Hanko Summer University!


Join us in Hanko in 2019!