Today I received some excellent news from Helsingin Seudun Kesäyliopisto who informed me that they will arrange an archaeology field school 23.6. - 27.6.2025. The excavation site dates to the Neolithic Stone-age (Comb Ceramic Culture ca 3 500 BC). It is rich in finds and located in Pitäjänmäki just 15 minutes from Helsinki city centre!
Registration will start shortly!
This is a list of my community archaeology excavations in Finland in 2025. All of the excavations are open to the general public exept for the "Finding the Fallen of the Hanko Front" project. No previous experience of archaeology is required to be able to participate in the excavations!
This page will be updated with more information on a regular basis so please check in every now and then in order to get information about when its time to register! Please don´t hesitate to send an e-mail to jfarchaeology@gmail.com if you have any questions!
See you in 2025!
April
1. 26.4. – 27.4.2025. 1918 – Secrets of the Civil War in Espoo.
Conflict Archaeology surveys of several Civil War sites.
Esbo svenska arbetarinstitut.
May
Conflict Archaeology surveys of several Civil War sites.
Kirkkonummen kansalaisopisto.
Fully booked!
3. 5.5. – 9.5.2025. Porkkala 1941–1956
Cold War Conflict Archaeology excavation.
Kirkkonummen kansalaisopisto.
Fully booked!
4. 10.5. – 14.5.2025. 1918 – Sotahistorian arvoituksia Porvoossa
Conflict Archaeology surveys of several Second World War and Civil War sites.
Porvoon kansalaisopisto.
Fully booked!
5. 16.5. – 20.5.2025. Secrets of the Stone-Age in Vantaa, Jokiniemi.
Excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Comb Ceramic Culture).
Vantaan aikuisopisto.
Fully booked!
6. 21.5. – 23.5.2025. Second World War Conflict Archaeology.
Second World War Battlefield Archaeology field school at Hangö Frontmuseum
Hangö Sommaruni/Thure Galléns stiftelse (excavation with school students).
Planning has commenced.
7. 24.5 – 25.5.2025. Finding the Fallen of the Hanko front.
Forensic Archaeology research project (professional team).
8. 26.5. – 30.5.2025. Second World War Conflict Archaeology.
Second World War Battlefield Archaeology field school at Hangö Frontmuseum
Hangö Sommaruni/Thure Galléns stiftelse (excavation with school students).
Planning has commenced.
June
9. 9.6. – 13.6.2025. Åbo, Jäkärlä.
Excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Jäkärlä culture).
Åbo svenska arbetarinstitut.
A few spots left, REGISTER HERE!
10. 14.6. – 19.6.2025 Esbo, Sperrings.
Trial excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Early Comb Ceramic Culture).
Esbo Arbis.
Excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Comb Ceramic Culture).
Helsingin seudun kesäyliopisto.
A few spots left, REGISTER HERE!
July
12. 13.7. – 18.7.2025. Åland, Geta.
Excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Pitted Ware Culture).
Mariehamns medborgarinstitut.
Fully booked!
13. 20.7. – 25.7.2025 och 27.7. – 1.8.2025. NAU 2025 Korsholms vallar.
Excavation of a Medieval Castle Ruin and a 16th -19th Century Kings Royal Demesne.
SÖFUK, Medborgarinstitutet ALMA.
Registration starts in March 2025.
14. 2.8.-6.8.2025. Elimäki, Hämeenkylä.
Trial excavation of a stone-age dwelling site.
Kouvolan kansalaisopisto.
Planning has commenced.
August
15. 7.8. – 13.8.2025. Korpo, Brunskär.
Excavation of an island community from the 17th-early 19th Centuries.
Brunskärs byaråd.
Planning has commenced.
16. 26.8. – 29.8.2025. Kristinestad 1918.
Conflict Archaeology excavation and survey of a Civil War battlefield.
Kristinestads gymnasium.
Planning has commenced.
September
17. 1.9. – 5.9.2025. Second World War Conflict Archaeology.
Second World War Battlefield Archaeology field school
Hangö Sommaruni/Thure Galléns stiftelse (excavation with school students).
Planning has commenced.
18. 8.9. – 12.9.2025. Second World War Conflict Archaeology.
Second World War Battlefield Archaeology field school
Hangö Sommaruni/Thure Galléns stiftelse (excavation with school students).
Planning has commenced.
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Deutsches Lager Hanko 1942-1944 - The
Modern Conflict Archaeology and History of a Second World War German Transition
Camp in Hanko S. Finland.
The defence will take place on Saturday, October 12th at 10:15 at Porthania, P III. (Yliopistonkatu 3), University of Helsinki. Professor Emeritus Nicholas Saunders (University of Bristol) will act as the opponent and professor Kristiina Mannermaa (University of Helsinki) as custos.
This is an in-person public examination,
but it will also be streamed live through the following link:
https://video.helsinki.fi/unitube/live-stream.html?room=l40
The dissertation is available in electronic
form at the Helda e-thesis service:
https://helda.helsinki.fi/.../8cec089e-39a3-4cde-82aa...
Mission accomplished after five days of excavating and surveying the area and surroundings of Wohls Manor in Kirkkonummi. The results were very good indeed. We managed to map and document a previously unknown Corded Ware Culture dwelling site and record the long and complex history of the Manor itself.
2500 BC
Stone-age stray finds found in the fields around Wohls have indicated a neolithic dwelling site somewhere in the area. During previous visits by archaeologists natural circumstances had prevented the area from beeing surveyed in detail. This time the weather- and other conditons were on our side and a previously unknown Corded Ware Culture was found.
17th Century
A silver coin from the reign of Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689) minted in Reval in 1649. The history of Wohls began some 20-years earlier (in
1624) when the area was given to Riga Town Counsilor Dr. Ludwig von Hintelmann
(1578-1643).
18th Century
An ornate brass shoe buckle that was found close to the remains of a cellar from the 18th century to the north east of the main bulding.
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19th Century
The finds from the 19th century were the most common ones and consisted of coins, brass and gilded buttons and glass & porcelain fragments.
1918 The Finnish Civil War
During the battle of Sigurds (February 22nd-27th 1918) the main building served as a field hospital. Many broken medicine bottles dating to the Finnish civil war were found in the basement.
The first archaeological trial excavation and field survey of the 2024 field season will be in Kirkkonummi west of Helsinki where we will investigate the long and complex history of Wohls Manor. Children from nearby schools will also participate in the fieldwork. The excavation is financed by The Savings Bank Foundation in Kirkkonummi.
Wohls Manor is located in a lush environment on the west bank of Humaljärvi in Kirkkonummi. The manor was formed in the early 17th century and was included in the so-called “Överby donation”, a donation which was given to Ludvig Hintelman from Riga in 1624. Around 1670, chief forester Erik Bure bought a large part of the land and formed an estate complex with Wohls as his main farm.
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Many finds from the neolithic stone age have been discovered in the nearby fields so the survey and trial excavations will also be about confirming the location of a stone-age dwelling site in the area.
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Click on this link to learn more about the history of this fascinating place and tune in here to hear the latest news from the upcomin excavation.
After a long winter, this weekend it was finally time to kick off the 2024 field season. The extensive mostly untouched research area of a Soviet Cold War Period Tank Training Centre provided the interesting setting.
The fieldwork involved searching the fields near one of our main research areas for locations of dumpsites which could later be subjected to multidisciplinary conflict archaeology excavations. Many interesting areas of finds could be pinpointed during the two days of work on site.
An interesting group of finds are the discarded broken spoons left by the Soviet soldiers (mainly tank crews), when their service was over. Other finds included uniform buttons, coins and parts of military gear.
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