Part one. A fantastic week exploring the stone-age dwelling site Vävarsbacka II in Porvoo.

Between the 15th - 19th of May 2023 we continued our community archaeology excavations of this fantastic Neolithic Stone-Age site in Porvoo. Time sure flies, this was already our 6th excavation here since the start in 2018. The excavatons have been funded by Borgå Medborgarinstitut since the beginning.

Vävarsbacka II was first inhabited around 3900 BC and according to our research the last period of habitation occured around 2300 BC but this is of course only a rough estimate. This complex multiperiod site is both fascinating and rich in finds and we hope to be able to continue the excavations for several more years and with the second leg of this years excavation taking place already in September 2023.

This years excavation mostly produced artefacts from the Late Typical Comb Ceramic period (ca 3600-3400 BC) but we also found some asbestos tempered potsherds that can be attributed to the so called Pöljä phase (ca 3500-2500 BC)as well as pottery from the Pyheensilta phase (ca 3200-2400 BC).

One potshed with a cross shaped ornament is unique in Finland and shows that despite strict rules seem to have guided the decoration of pottery during the Comb Ceramic Culture at least some form of personal artistic expression was allowed.