Invitation WWII Conflict Archaeology dig in Hanko 27.6-15.7.2016.

You are all invited to participate in the archaeological excavations of "Deutsches Lager Hanko"!

Mannschaftsbaracke 2016.

Contacts and registration through Hangö Sommaruniversitet:

http://www.hangosommaruni.fi/studieprogram/22-ovriga-kurser/arkeologi/66-konfliktarkeologi

Metal detected gold coin returned to finder in Finland

The 18th century gold "Ducate" found by renowned metal detectorist Hannu Martikainen in Finland has been returned to him along with a certificate of it having been scientifically evaluated by the National Board of Antiquities.

Gold coin.

The find was assessed as a stray find without clear historical context. The decision is in my opinion a good and solid one and serves to clearify the ongoing discussion here in Finland. One can hope that this will result in more detectorists reporting their detected soins to the authorities in the future.

Gold award.

It´s all about context, not about monetary value.

Money for nothing?

Once again the talk is about the financial rewards and "value" of  metal detected finds here in Finland. According to Finnish law the finder has a right to receive a reward for his over 100 years old find if the National Board of Antiquities decide to claim it for their collections. The total amount reserved for this in Finland is only 5 000 euros per year.

Picture from the BBC series "Detectorists".

Because of this (and quite understandably) the rewards for single finds are often not very high, Usually in the tens of euros for a common medieval silver coin or maybe some 50 euros a gold coin from the beginning of the 18th century that was found in a ploughed field with no historical context (below). 

Whats it worth?

My question is why these rewards are paid in the first case? Valuable historical objects from a historical contexts belong to the National Museum, end of question. Donating these kind of finds without compensation should be the rule.

Paying rewards for obvious stray finds (in my opinion) simply constitutes bad economic judgement (even if the general sums are small) and only serves the purpose of yearly debates about the economic "value" of the priceless faint clues into our common heritage.

Fragment of a massive Viking Age bracelet found in Porvoo S. Finland.

Today Mr Hannu Hannu Martikainen, one of the most trustworthy and talented metal detectorists researching the area of S. Finland stumbled upon, and immediately reported a very interesting iron age find, a fragment of a massive Viking Age metal bracelet. 

 Vikng Age bracelet fragmen´t from Porvoo, S. Finland.

The find surfaced in Porvoo S. Finland, in an area very, very far from the central Viking age dwelling site areas in S. and SW Finland. 

The find actually stopped me in my tracks. It s a showcase example of talented detectorist thinking outside the box. Searching not for the obvious, but for the new and surprising.

This is what the bracelet could have looked like AD 800-1000.

From what I can see from the first pictures the bracelet fragment has been subjected to fire (possibly on a funeral pyre), and broken intentionally. As such it is possible that the fragment constitute part of a late iron age (or early medieval period) grave loot possibly ment to be re-used.

Of course the fragment could also be part of an "in situ" Viking Age burial but at the moment we have no proof of this. The find has been reported to Porvoo Museum and is kept in appropriate conditions.

Congrats Hannu!

Best,

Jan Fast

Last chance to participate in the cleaning of neolitic excavation finds at Heureka

All of You who have participated in the Heureka excavations from 1990-1995 or 2014-215 are invited. The event is free of charge and will take place tomorrow Saturday 2.4.2016 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Heureka the Finnish Science Centre

Jokiniemi, neolithic dwelling site.

New internet site and blogg about the viking age site Kvarnby hall on the Åland islands

Great looking presentation and blogg. Parts of it in english! A must see for all of you interested in the viking age in Finland and Sweden.

Viking age silver coins found at the site in 2014.

A link to the site and blogg here!

https://kvarnbohall.ax/kvarnbo_hall/

Excavating "Deutsches Lager Hanko" new FB group created

The group is intended for the participants, archaeologists and historians interested in or directly connected to the upcoming ethitcally and scientifically conducted conflict archaeological excavation of the German WWII transition camp in Hanko S.Finland.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1055965297797244/?fref=ts

The excavation will take place on weekdays from June 27th to July 15th 2016 it is part of my doctoral dissertation (University of Helsinki dpt. of archaeology) about the German transition camp and the Ukrainian prisoner of war camp that was situated inside it. The excavation is organized in a the form of a conflict archaeology class at Hangö Sommaruniversitet, Finland.

SS Standartenführer Hans Collani shaking hands with Finnish volunteers in the Waffen SS. Deutsches Lager Hanko 11.7.1943.

3rd session cleaning neolithic excavation finds @ Heureka the Finnish Science Centre

What a wonderful community archaeology event. Some 20 + participants and we got a lot of work done! Three archaeology students from The University of Helsinki dpt of Archaeology participated too :). Thank You Heureka for supplying us with the facilities and the opportunity to view the 2015 excavations in 3D.

Cleaning in progress. Photo Liisa Tuominen-Roto.

One of the participants came up with the great idea that cleaning excavation finds is actually very meditative and could be used when practising mindfullness and generally promoting well-being :)

Neolithic excavation finds and the cleaning "tools" :) Liisa Tuominen-Roto.

Because of the huge popularity of the event we are planning one more opportunity for the general public to get involved with this part of the archaeological research process. 

Heritage hunting in Finnish forests (2014)

In state forests, the search is on for ancient artefacts and sites. Archaeologists working for Metsähallitus, the state enterprise managing forests, have been scouring the woods for five summers. Their oldest finds date back to the Stone Age.

Metsähallitus archaeologists Esa Hertell and Olli Eranti discovered Stone Age implements from the shores of Lake Koitere. Image: Pertti Huotari / Yle

Archaeologists Esa Hertell and Olli Eranti move through the woods of the eastern municipality of Ilomantsi, looking for signs of human life from times gone by.

Hertell and Eranti work for Metsähallitus, the state-owned enterprise that administers more than 12 million hectares of state-owned land and water areas in Finland.

At the southern tip of Lake Hattujärvi, the men stop to examine a depression in the ground, which turns out to be the floor of a Stone Age dwelling. People stayed here more than 9,000 years ago.

Hertell says such sites can often be found by reasoning.

“These kinds of Stone Age sites are usually found on sandy lake-shores, on the sunny side,” the scientist notes, adding: “Sometimes there are coincidences, but we first look at the map and then go to opportune places.”

While basing most of their work on maps, Hertell and Eranti sometimes also get tipped off by locals as well as other Metsähallitus forest planners.

Four million hectares, with euros to match

This is the fifth summer such an inventory has been carried out in forests across the country. Four million euros from wood sales have been budgeted towards this work of mapping out cultural heritage hidden in Finnish nature. By next year, when the project finishes, some four million hectares of land should have been surveyed.

“This work will benefit every Finn who is interested from where we come from, what life was like before, and what lies here in the forests,” Hertell says.

A dream job

Aiding Hertell is archaeology student Olli Eranti. For him, surveying the land for ancient findings is a dream job, and in many ways very similar to the kinds of work that graduated archaeologists would do.

While searching the shoreline of Lake Koitere, Eranti spots a group of white, sharp-edged stones under the water. According to the men, these stones were used by Stone Age people to cut meat and scrape out skins.

Eranti marks the spot in a computer. The data will later be moved to Metsähallitus and National Board of Antiquities databases.

The Board of Antiquities’ heritage registry is a database open to the public, while Metsähallitus will use the data in making decisions on protecting sites.

Viimeinen Jokiniemen kaivauslöytöjen puhdistustilaisuus Heurekassa la 20.2.2016

Huomenna lauantaina, 20.2.2016, on kaikilla kaivauksiin vuosien varrella osallistuneilla vihoviimeisen kerran mahdollisuus osallistua Jokiniemen kaivausten löytöjen puhdistustyöhön.

Kesän 2015 kaivauslöytöjä puhdistetaan Tiedekeskus Heurekan ryhmätyötiloissa lauantaina klo 10.00-17.00.

Kaivauslöytöjen puhdistamisen ohessa on myös mahdollisuus tutustua Jokiniemen 2015 kaivauksiin virtuaalisesti (360 virtuaalilasien avulla)!

Sydämellisesti Tervetuloa!

Jan Fast

Finnish archaeologists presented their 2015 excavations live over the Internet!

http://live.museovirasto.fi/?live=kenttatyot

What an interesting day this was. For some 30-years Finnish archaeologists have gathered at the National Museum of Finland in Helsinki to share their yearly excavations and research but this time it was VERY different! For the first time ever the Finnish archaeologists were able to communicate the results of their 2015 research live over the Internet (and de facto over the world).

 "Old school" presentation from 1997

The event was broadcasted from the National Museum  and lasted from 9 am to 4.45 PM. This must have been a very exiting thing for many of the presenters/archaeologists but  I felt very proud of my colleagues.

Archaeologist Esa Mikkola is the be(a)st ! He stood for the best presentation today, the wintery archaeological excavation of a 16th century bridge.

There were of course some things to improve. A split screen showing the audience would have been helpful along with a possibility to ask the lecturers short questions over the Internet The language of the presentations should be in English of course and so on... But the main thing is that the National Board of Antiquities and the National Museum of Finland made the Event happen!!!

Actually I can´t wait for the presentations tomorrow, It´s allmost better than Ice Hockey at least if  the archaeologists and the audience  get into some hefty discussions or fights :). The presentations start at 9 am Finnish time! Be there or stay at home, grab a coffee or a beer and enjoy!

Right now! Streaming live video from the 2015 archaeology presentations from the National Museum in Helsinki Finland

This is really great news, it´s the first time the presentations can be watched on-line. Despite some slight problems everything seems to run rather smoothly. Click on the link below the picture to see the presentations.

http://live.museovirasto.fi/?live=kenttatyot

This is a two day event. Today it´s about old roads and their value in archaeological research. Tomorrow the topics vary from ground breaking stone-age research to presentations of iron age and medieval period excavation projects!

Because this can be seen abroad I hope that at least some of the presentations will be in english next year! If I´m invited to speak about the conflict archaeology of "Deutsches Lager Hanko 1942-1944" in 2017 at least that presentation will be in english.

For more about the National Museum of Finland visit:

http://www.kansallismuseo.fi/en/index

2016 Conflict Archaeology Field School in Hanko S. Finland now confirmed

I have today received final confirmation that "Hangö Sommaruniversitet" will finance a three week long archaeological excavation of "Deutsches Lager Hanko" from June 27th to July 16th 2016. The excavation will be organized in the form of a conflict archaeology field school open to anyone interested in WW2 history and conflict archaeology.

Ingermanlandian "Hilfsfreiwillige" in "Deutsches Lager Hanko" in  December 1943. Photo SA-kuva.

The team supervising the field school will include me and archaeology students Anu Varjo (University of Helsinki Dpt. of Archaeology) and Jasmin Jyrä (University of Aberdeen Dpt. of Archaeology).

Trial excavations in progress inside the former German WW2 transition camp in 2014. 
Photo Jan Fast

If you wish to participate in the excavations of the German WW2 camp please send letters of interest to:

jfarchaeology@gmail.com

The case of Huhtiniemi. Looking back into previous forensic conflict archaeology in Finland.

According to persistent rumours in Finland (after WW2) the Finnish army held secret war courts for deserters in Lappeenranta SE Finland during the summer of 1944 after the Soviet offensive that same year. The rumours were supported by finds of several skeletal remains in the area over a prolonged period of years after the war.

Picture from the archaeological excavations (2006).

It was assumed that convicted deserters were moved to Huhtiniemi, executed by firing squad and buried in unmarked graves. Because no records of the activities of the "Greater Saimaa's" regional court martial from 1944 had been found, some believed the records had been deliberately destroyed.

Archaeological excavations were carried out by the dpt. of Archeology University of Helsinki at the site in 2006. During the excavations the skeletal remains of 11 people, all male and aged early twenties to middle-aged, were found.

Finnish forensic dentist Helena Ranta participated in the Huhtiniemi excavations

.

Forensic research and archaeological finds revealed that the skeletons belonged to  Russian servicemen who died in the garrisons of the area in the 18th century. The cause of death was most likely disease, as the the bodies showed no evidence of battle trauma, gunshot- or other wounds.

An orthodox cross found in the vicinity of one of the buried Russian soldiers.

Further excavations thave not showed evidence of any more mass graves in Huhtiniemi area in Lappeenranta. According to the official report by the research team (from October 2007) all possible WW2 mass grave sites in Huhtiniemi area have been examined and found to be empty of human remains. 

The skeletal remains of the deceased found during the archaeological excavations were properly reburied in 2015.

2015.

Lecturing about community archaeology, responsible metal detecting and WW2 conflict archaeology in Finland

I will be lecturing on the topic at the University of Helsinki U38 room 205 on the 1st of February 2016. The lecture is part of the studies in Museology and archaeology at the University. Please come and listen to it. The lecture is in Finnish but  I will be summarizing it in English.

Pinpointing metal objects on the excavation area (yellow flags).

The lecture is labelled "Yhteisöarkeologian historia Suomessa ja metallinpaljastimen käyttö toisen maailmansodan arkeologisten kohteiden tutkimuksessa" this translates to "The history of community archaeology in Finland and the use of metal detectors in the archaeological research of Second World War sites".

School students removing the topsoil of the detected area before the start of the excavation.

Nazi War Diggers

I won´t even change the name, it is what it is (was). While it now seems clear that the archaeological community wasn´t successfull in preventing British Channel 5 from broadcasting "Nazi War Diggers" by ClearStory in the end I think the whole sad affair has made us much stronger.

http://thepipeline.info/blog/2016/01/05/rolling-news-nazi-war-diggers-gets-uk-tv-debut-on-channel-five-as-battlefield-recovery/

I would like to thank Tony Pollard, Tim Sutherland and above all Andy Brockman for all the effort You have put into this. Let´s all work even harder together to protect the WW2 heritage in the future!

Help welcome in cleaning neolithic excavation finds 9-10.1.2016 at Heureka

The cleaning and sorting of last summers neolithic excavation finds from Vantaa Jokiniemi will take place at Science Centre Heureka on Saturday and Sunday 9-10.1.2016 from 10-16. This is an excellent opportunity for you to familiarize yourself with a multitude of different types of neolithic stone age finds!

Picture from the 2015 cleaning session at Heureka.

No previous experience about cleaning and sorting excavation finds is required. All cleaning equipment and other materials are supplied by Heureka. The event is free of charge!

Comb ceramic potsherds from the excavations.

Please note that on Saturday (9.1) 16-17 PM there will also be a lecture about the 2015 excavation results (Jan Fast).

First real case in Latvia where grave looters have been brought to justice!

It seems that some justice has finally been done in Latvia where grave robbing and illegal metal detecting is a huge problem! 

The Alūksne District Court in Latvia sentenced grave robbers who plundered a Late Iron Age cemetary in  NE Latvia in April 2016 in search for antiques.  The men were sentenced to 160 hours of forced labor each. This is the first time that a court sentence of this kind has been proclaimed in Latvia. 


According to personal communication with Latvian archaeologist Arturs Tomsons "This is the first time when grave looters in Latvia are brought to, at least, some kind of justice."


Link to the news annoncement (in Latvian)

http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/criminal/vesturisks-spriedums-latvija-pirmo-reizi-notiesa-senkapu-aplaupitajus.d?id=46841069

Traces of viruses found in the DNA of Finnish Second World War casualities

Graves of fallen soldiers in Tiiksi (Karelia). Photo SA-kuva.

"DNA in human skeletal remains represents an important historical source of host genomic information and potentially of infecting viruses. However, little is known about viral persistence in bone. We searched ca. 70-year-old long bones of putative Finnish casualties from World War II for parvovirus B19 (B19V) DNA, and found a remarkable prevalence of 45%. The viral sequences were exclusively of genotypes 2 (n = 41), which disappeared from circulation in 1970´s, or genotype 3 (n = 2), which has never been reported in Northern Europe. Based on mitochondrial and Y-chromosome profiling, the two individuals carrying B19V genotype 3 were likely from the Soviet Red Army. The most recent common ancestor for all genotypes was estimated at early 1800s. This work demonstrates the forms of B19V that circulated in the first half of the 20th century and provides the first evidence of the suitability of bone for exploration of DNA viruses.

The bones had remained in the battlefields of Karelia district, near the border of Finland and Russia at the time of WWII. The climate in this region comprises four divergent seasons, with sub-zero temperatures and snow-cover during winter and long day lengths (≤20 hrs) during summer. The soil is generally acidic, with regional and micro-scale variations. The remains were initially considered Finnish in origin based on visual inspection of vestiges of military uniforms, ID tags or personal belongings1 under the coordination of the Association for Cherishing the Memory of the Dead of the War. DNA extracts of altogether 106 bone samples from WWII casualties were obtained from the Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki."

Toppinen, M. et al. Bones hold the key to DNA virus history and epidemiology. Sci. Rep. 5, 17226; doi: 10.1038/srep17226 (2015).

See also

http://www.nature.com/articles/srep17226

25-26.11.2015 Lecturing about community archaeology

I love lecturing about ARCHAEOLOGY. But this time I felt like it almost got the best of me ;)

Very different atmospheres, very different spaces far away from each other both mentally and geographically and only 24 hours to do it... A challenge indeed, at least if you try to take in the audience and give it your best (and add the very short time of daylight in Finland this time of year).

First off was Hanko S Finland "Hangö Brankis"  where I was awarded a grant (for 2015) from Spabanksstiftelsen i Hangö for my conflict archaeology project of the German WWII camp in Tulliniemi. The welcome was overwhelmingly friendly with some 200 people participating.

As I had to prepare for my upcomng lecture in the town hall (an hour later) I was not able to participate for more than half an hour. I really would have liked to stayed to watch the program but...

"Hangö Brankis"

Lecture one in Hanko (Hangös stadshus Foajén) was for a very motivated group of some 50 locals (in Finnish) about the conflict archaeology of "Deutsches Lager Hanko". Two hours passed by in a flash with great discussions afterwards. Then a two hour drive home back to Espoo in the dark and (early) bedtime at 24hrs.

Hangö stadshus "Foajén".

The next morning I woke up at 06 a.m. and headed for Helsinki city centre  and the University of Helsinki were I was expected to hold  lecture about Science Education and Community Archaeology. Professor Hannu Salmi welcomed me in the wonderful late 19th century Auditorium.

Helsinki University (Pengerkatu 1)

To my great surprise university students just kept coming and coming, finally filling the whole Auditorium (some 150 places), a lot more than I had expected! After professor Salmi´s almost 90 minute lecture it was my time to hit the stage in front of a a somewhat stressed out croud. The original seats in the very old auditorium are from "h-ll".

Science Centre Education in HEUREKA.

Not at all prepared for such a large academic audience I really had to "go for it" in the beginning but after about 20 minutes I felt I got contact and at the end of my presentation we finally had some lovely constructive discussions with the students. Phew... :)

Clay Idols (and Conflict Archaeology) with University students.

Home again after all this, feeling good. "Learning by Doing"...  Me too :)