National publicity for my doctoral thesis "Deutsches Lager Hanko 1942-1944"

It´s New Years Eve and time to get back to my most memorable event of 2024, namely my doctoral thesis and public defence at the University of Helsinki. What could have been a better way to celebrate this than todays front page article in the leading Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The newspaper has some 700 000 daily readers.

The front page of the printed edition of Helsingin Sanomat 31.12.2024.

The article is also available for subscribers on the internet  https://www.hs.fi/suomi/art-2000010782364.html 

  

A few of the over 10 000 finds found during the excavations of the German camp 2014-2014 and 2024. Photo Japo Knuutila.

During the following years my Modern Conflict Archaeology research will focus on the cultural heritage and landscapes of the Finnish Civil War. Here too German armed forces played a significant role.

German infantrymen from the Ostsee-Division in Helsinki in April 1918. Photo Finna archives.

Community Archaeology excavations again in Helsinki in June 2025!

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! 

Register HERE!

JFArchaeology Community Archaeology Excavations in 2025

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! Please     remember that even though an excavation is "Sold Out" cancellations can happen so it´s always a good  idea to sign up for the queue 👍

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

   26–27.4.2025. 1918 – Secrets of the Civil War in Espoo.                            

         Conflict Archaeology surveys of several Civil War sites.

         Esbo svenska arbetarinstitut. 

         Fully booked! 

  May

  3–4.5.2025. 1918 – Secrets of the Civil War in Western Uusimaa.

        Conflict Archaeology surveys of several Civil War sites.

        Kirkkonummen kansalaisopisto.

        Fully booked!

        5–9.5.2025. Porkkala 1941–1956 project

        Cold War Conflict Archaeology excavation.

        Kirkkonummen kansalaisopisto. 

        Fully booked!

         10–14.5.2025. 1918–1944  Secrets of the Civil War in Porvoo.

   Conflict Archaeology surveys of several Finnish Civil War related sites.

   Porvoon kansalaisopisto. 

   Fully booked!

  16–20.5.2025. Secrets of the Stone-Age in Vantaa, Jokiniemi.

  Excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Comb Ceramic Culture).

  Vantaan aikuisopisto. 

  Fully booked!

   21–23.5.2025. WW2 Conflict Archaeology, Hanko 1941-1944 project.  

         Second World War Battlefield Archaeology field school at Hangö Frontmuseum

   SFVs sommaruni/Hangö frontmuseum/Thure Galléns stiftelse (excavation with schools).

         Planning has commenced. 

         23–25.5.2025. Hanko 1941 project - Finding the Fallen of the Hanko front.

         Forensic Archaeology research project (professional forensic team). 

          26–30.5.2025. WW2 Conflict Archaeology, Hanko 1941 project. 

    Second World War Battlefield Archaeology field school at Hangö Frontmuseum

    SFVs sommaruni/Hangö frontmuseum/Thure Galléns stiftelse (excavation with schools).

    Planning has commenced.

    June

    9–13.6.2025. Turku, Jäkärlä.

    Excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Jäkärlä culture).

    Åbo svenska arbetarinstitut. 

    Fully booked!

    14–19.6.2025 Espoo, Mynt

    Trial-/rescue excavation of a stone-age dwelling site.

    Esbo Arbis. 

    1 spot left 19.1.2025! REGISTER HERE!

    23–27.6.2025 Secrets of the stone-age in Helsinki, Turkismiehentien leikkikenttä.

    Excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Typical Comb Ceramic Culture).

    Helsingin seudun kesäyliopisto. 

    1 spot left 21.1.2025! REGISTER HERE!

    July

    13–18.7.2025. Find the stone-age of Åland, Östegeta Ge 16.9.

    Excavation of a stone-age dwelling site (Pitted Ware Culture).

    Mariehamns medborgarinstitut. 

    Fully booked!

    20–25.7.2025 and 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.

   2–6.8.2025. Secrets of the stone-age in Kouvola - Elimäki, Hämeenkylä.

         Trial- and rescue excavation of a stone-age dwelling site. 

         Kouvolan kansalaisopisto. 

         Planning has commenced.

    

    August

    7–11.8.2025. Brunskär before - Korpo, Brunskär.

    Excavation of an island community from the 17th-early 19th Centuries.

    Brunskärs byaråd. 

    Planning has commenced.

    26–29.8.2025. 1918–Secrets of the Civil War in Kristinestad.

    Pedagogic Conflict Archaeology survey of a Finnish Civil War battlefield.

    Kristinestads gymnasium. 

    Planning has commenced.

    

    September

   

     1–5.9.2025. WW2 Conflict Archaeology, Hanko 1941-1944 project. 

           Second World War Conflict Archaeology field school 

           SFVs sommaruni/Hangö frontmuseum/Thure Galléns stiftelse (excavation with schools).

           Planning has commenced. 

     8–12.9.2025. WW2 Conflict Archaeology, Hanko 1941-1944 project.  

           Second World War Conflict Archaeology field school 

           SFVs sommaruni/Hangö frontmuseum/Thure Galléns stiftelse (excavation with schools).

           Planning has commenced. 

 

Modern Conflict Archaeology public defence coming up @ the University of Helsinki

 

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...

The 2025 excavations will soon be revealed!

 

Wohls through the centuries

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.

The main building of Wohls manor photographed from the north. Photo Jarno Ekman.

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.

Surveying the newly found neolithic dwelling site and  whetstone that was found laying on the surface of the field. Photos Minna Turunen (left) and Jan Fast (right).

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).

A silver coin from the reign of Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689) minted in Reval in 1649. Photo Jan Fast.

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.

18th cntury finds were mostly found to the northeast of the main building. Photos Jan Fast.

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.

The finds from the 18th century mainly included Swedish copper coins and bottle-fragments. Photos Jarno Ekman (left) and Jemina Rajamäki (right).

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 basement of Wohls proved to contain many conflict archaeology finds from the Finnish Civil War (1918). Photos Håkan Näsman.

The interesting history of Wohls Manor revealed!

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.

The cellar of the manor will also be documented during the research. 

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.

Wohls in summertime.

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.

 Late Comb Ceramic Culture  and Corded Ware Culture potsherds have been found near the manor.

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.

https://wohls.fi/en/wohls-history/

Porkkala 1944-1956 Multidisciplinary Conflict Archaeology Research of a Soviet Cold War Period Tank Training Centre

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. 

Part of the research area in an air surveillance photo from the 1950´s. The trails left by the tanks are clearly visible. Photo Jarno Ekman (right).

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.

Soviet T-34 and T-54 tank track links found earlier in the research area. Photos Jan Fast.

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.

  

   

A few of the finds from the surveys. Photos Jarno Ekman.

The surveys of the site will continue next weekend and be follwed up by excavations 4.-8.5.2024 so stay tuned!