New finds by Sami Metsämaa/Metsähallitus from the Lemmenjoki national park area in Finnish Lapland

Excellent work once again by Sami ! Sadly the short video is only in Finnish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85BqPiis4Xs

http://www.luontoon.fi/ajankohtaista/uutiset/Sivut/palasia3000vsaviastiasta.aspx

Interesting application

A couple of years ago all the known sites of archaeological interest in Finland were published on the web by the National Board of Antiquities in Finland.

http://kulttuuriymparisto.nba.fi/netsovellus/rekisteriportaali/mjreki/read/asp/r_default.aspx

Here´s an interesting link to an application of that same register which to my knowledge is made by Finnish amateur archaeologists. I got the address to this website I previously didn´t know about while lecturing about archaeology  in Salo a couple of weeks ago.

http://fba.evvk.com/geo/kultymp.html

Let´s hope that all the information given out serves the purpose of protection of sites and not the opposite as sadly has been the case with the published shipwreck sites in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Finland... The protection of these fragile sites is now more than ever in the hands of all of us so let´s all act responsibly.

Planning

For the past month I´ve been doing much planning of my archaeological activities for the autumn of 2013 and spring/summer of 2014. There seems to be some interesting projects popping up so stay tuned for regular updates here and on FB on how things are progressing.

JAN  FAST  ARKEOLOGI

ERBJUDER

Långåmossarna research 2.

The finds from layer one are now cleaned and neatly arranged in archive boxes.The first excavation layer included potsherds from at least six different vessels (calculation based on the rim sherds). The pots seem to have been rather small with a diameter of only around 20-30 cm:s.
Three small fragments of anthropomorphic clay figurines that went unnoticed during the excavation were nice to "find again" among the numerous potsherds. The finds from layer one also included three fragments of polished stone tools as well as flakes of quartz, porfyrite and black slate The identified bones were all seal bones. Tomorrow it´s time for layer two... can´t wait :)

 Pottery, pottery, pottery... 

"Potsherd of the day"

Långåmossarna research 1.

Started working with the excavation finds from Raseborg Långåmossarna SW Finland today (mainly sorting the finds and "getting ready").. Will post more on a daily basis :)

 Some 0,5 kg of wonderful uncleaned stone age ceramics (ca 5000 B.C.) from the first level of he trial pit  

(1 x 1 m and 10 cm excavation layer).

Great article in about two viking age ship burials from Estonia in this months issue of "Archaeology Magazine"

"In 2008, workers digging trenches for electrical cables on the tiny island of Salme uncovered human bones and a variety of odd objects..."

Read more about this intriguing find here:

http://www.archaeology.org/issues/95-1307/features/941-vikings-saaremaa-estonia-salme-vendel-oseberg

http://www.archeurope.com/_texts/00076.pdf

First corded ware grave found in Estonia (Narva region) since 1948

A corded ware culture double burial was found in july during excavations in Narva Estonia. The finds from the grave consisted of three ceramic vessels (one of them was an amphorae), two battle axes, an adze an amber pendant. Sadly the only sign of the deceased were the teeth of the other individual. 

The excavation was supervised by professor Aivar Kriiska and members of the Finnish based amateur archaeology society ANGO ry participated in the dig for two weeks. The excavations of this promising site will continue next year.

Battleaxe and ceramic vessel from the Narva corded ware culture grave

Ceramic vessel 1 (from the trial pit). 

 Axe from the trial pit (oikokirves)

Video here:

http://uudised.err.ee/index.php?06283507

Article here (in estonian):

http://www.postimees.ee/1302262/err-arheoloogid-leidsid-narva-joe-aarest-kiviaja-lopust-parit-kalmistu

From the Ango web page (in finnish):

http://www.arkeoango.net/uutiset.html?69

Some find :)

Took to the forest today not so much in search of prehistoric finds but porcini <3. The lighter side of archaeology :)

Remarkable 14th century gold ring found in Espoo

Sadly it seem to be lacking its gemstone but nice ring even without it. According to Tryggve Gestrin at the Espoo city museum it dates to the 14th century and is the first of it´s kind in Finland.  It was found by a metal detectorist near  Espoo manor situated by "The Kings Road" and connecting Oslo, Stockholm and Wyborg.
Read more here:

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article17386738.ab

http://www.espoo.fi/fi-FI/Keskiaikainen_sormusloyto_Espoosta(37338)

http://www.lansivayla.fi/artikkeli/252378-aarteenetsija-teki-elamansa-loydon-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%9Dtaysin-ainutlaatuista-suomessa%E2%80%9D

http://www.iltasanomat.fi/kotimaa/art-1288594729290.html

Espoo Manor.

 Happy archaeologists from Espoo city museum (Tryggve Gestrin to the left and AnnaWessman to the right) with Antti Hirvinen the lucky guy who found the ring  in the middle!

Public picture taken from Antti Hirvinen's Facebook page.

Public picture from Antti Hirvinen's Facebook page.

                                            Public picture from Antti Hirvinen's Facebook page.

Some ideas for 2014

When it comes to archaeological fieldwork in 2014  I´m currently planning a couple of small scale rescue excavations in Raseborg SW Finland (early comb ceramic sites ca 5000 BC) - I´m also planning a project to locate bronze age dwelling sites in Espoo, Vantaa and Helsinki (in april-may) and WW 2 battlefield / conflict archaeology on the islands outside Hanko (including Bromarv). If you are interested in participating  or have good ideas about what areas to concentrate on, feel free to contact me anytime.

Best,

JAN

Educating and presenting archaeology in 2013 and 2014

Students from Ekenäs Gymnasium excavating a 6000 year old stone age dwelling site in Raseborg SW Finland (copyright JFA 2013)

In a couple of months JFA will announce the first preview of trial excavations, educational opportunities and everything else for people interested in archaeology in Finland ages 8 and up.

The first update will be online here on 1st of October. The info will be updated on a monthly basis but feel free to ask any questions via email at:

joneij@gmail.com

Best,

Jan

TODAY! A find of a beautiful neolithic flint sickle from S Finland

My good amateur archaeologist friend today informed me about this wonderful new find!! A bronze age Scandinavian type flint sickle! Thought of as a fossil (maybe a sharks tooth by the owner)... until now.
Sadly the item has no provenance but was found in a scrapbox in the old farmhouse but still... what a beautiful object it is!!

Summervacation is over and it´s time to start blogging again

I´ll start with this nice find of a previously unknown bronze age cairn from Porvoo (SE Finland). The cairn has been partly destroyed revealing a stone "chamber or coffin" in the center. The preserved part of the cairn is approx 4 x 10 m:s and of a clearly elongated form. The cairn and the coffin are orientated approx E-W.

Read more about archaeological research by the National Board of Antiquities in Finland (sadly only in finnish) on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/arkeologisetkenttapalvelut

http://bbl.fi/nyheter/2013-07-31/480751/3-000-ar-gammal-grav-hittades-pa-kalvon

Irish archaeology

Recent bog finds from Ireland!

http://irisharchaeology.ie/2011/08/irish-bog-bodies-recent-discoveries/

Fantastic grave find from Motala!

Hello friends, I´m still on vacation (back in august) but stumbled upon this excellent short video from the Motala excvations were past and present connect, enjoy :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOD-VAVLB1M

http://verkstadsvagen.arkeologiuv.se/#page2

Final visit to the National Board of Antiquities today...

drawing the Jokiniemi and Maarinkunnas (thanks Sirpa Leskinen) clay figurines for publication and cataloguing mesolithic finds from the Lill-Ingåla dwelling site in Espoo (excavated in 2007). The Lill-Ingåla finds mostly consist of fragments of burnt bone, a few quartz artefacts (mainly scrapers) and quartz flakes but the elevation of the site points it out as being the oldest in the area. Actually the site may be as old as 9000 B.C. Now that´s nice :)

Lill-Ingåla dwelling site (photo Tryggve Gestrin Espoo city museum)

Clay figurine torso from Maarinkunnas 

(drawing courtesy of Jan Fast)

Nice video from excavations in Blekinge Sweden

Here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2VHrLQBf-g

Reunion (and drawing) of the subneolithic anthropomorphic clay figurines from Jokiniemi

I spent most of the day drawing these guys :)

 Box full of figurines (and memories).

Head fragment

Head fragment

Fragment of the torso

Fragment of the torso

I own the rights to my own work so please ask before you repost any of the scetches above!

Finds from Långåmossarna

Here I will post a selection of the finds from the excavation. This area will be updated as work with cleaning the finds progresses, be patient...

Stone implements

Oval shaped loom weights or hammerstones

Potsherds

Vessel 1

Ka I:2 rimsherd  (ca 4000 B.C.)

Decoration on the rim of the pot.

 Interesting rare rim profile

From the same vessel

Seam imprint.


Vessel 2.

Ka I:2 rimsherds (older style) ca 4200 B.C.

As above.

Almost straight rim profile.

This vessel was painted red (faint traces of red ochre on the rim).

Burnt bone

Seal

Complete seal "flipper" bone

Finally to the National Board of Antiquities tomorrow

to do some microscopic research of the anthropomorphic clay figurines from the subneolithic stone age dwelling site at Vantaa Jokiniemi. After this the publication should be 95% ready. My approach to the figurines will be mostly chronological and comparative and I will be focusing on studies of realistic anthropomorphic clay figurines found in Western Russia, Latvia, Finland (including the Åland islands). In my upcoming article I will also discuss some aspects of the possible use, ornamentation and issues concerning the supposed gender of the figurines.