UPDATED 27.11.2018! JFArchaeology preliminary (planned) community archaeology excavation programme 2019.

JFArchaeology preliminary (planned) and regularly updated community archaeology excavation programme for 2019. More information (including where and how to register, dates and excavation crew) here as things progress.

The maximum amount of prticipants/day is very limited. Act quickly and secure a spot at the upcoming excavations!

Best,

Jan Fast, Janne Soisalo and crew

May 2019

5.5. Kirkkonummi
"Aikojen Kulkijat" community archaeology excursion. 
The excursion is fully booked but you can check for cancellations. 

Arranged by:Kirkkonummen Kansalaisopisto. 
https://www.kirkkonummi.fi/kansalaisopisto

Archaeologist MA Jan Fast

9.-12.5 "Hanko 1941"

Conflict archaeology project survey and excavation. Fully booked.

Archaeologist MA Jan Fast

20.5-28.5. "Hanko 1941"

Trial excavations of WW2 sites with local schools. Planning in progress with Hangö Gymnasium and Hankoniemen Lukio.

More info later in 2018 as things progress!
Archaeologist MA Jan Fast 

29.5 - 31.5. Raseborg Karis

Excavation with local schools and community archaeology trial excavation. Planning in progress with Karis Hembygdsförening.

https://karis.hembygd.fi/start/

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo.

June 2019

1. - 5.6. Porvoo (Vävarsbacka II)

Community archaeology rescue excavation of a neolithic (3900-3000 BC) dwelling site. Everybody with an interest in archaeologycan participate, no previous knowledge of archaeology required. Languages spoken are Swedish, Finnish and English. 

The excavation is arranged by Borgå Medborgarinstitut.

OFFICIAL REGISTRATION STARTS 2.1.2019 at 10 a.m!

https://www.borga.fi/medborgarinstitutet

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo.



7. - 9.6 Elimäki (Ruskiasuo)

Community archaeology rescue excavation of a fantastic early comb ceramic (5000-4500 BC) dwelling site. Everybody with an interest in archaeologycan participate, no previous knowledge of archaeology required. Languages spoken are Finnish and Swedish.

The excavation is arranged by Kouvolan Kansalaisopisto.

REGISTRATION STARTS SOON!
http://www.edukouvola.fi/kansalaisopisto/inenglish/

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo

13.6 - 17.6. Helsinki (Turkismiehentien leikkikenttä)











Community archaeology rescue and trial excavation of a neolithic (3500-3200 BC) dwelling site. The excavation is organised by Pitäjänmäki Seura ry.
https://kaupunginosat.net/pitajanmaki/pitajanmakiseura

REGISTRATION HAS STARTED! 

jfarchaeology@gmail.com

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo.

24.6 - 30.6. Espoo

Community archaeology trial and rescue excavation of a corded ware culture dwelling site. 

The excavation is organized by Esbo arbetarinstitut.

REGISTRATION HAS STARTED!

https://ilmonet.fi/#fi/search/txt=kurs+i+arkeologisk+utgr%25C3%25A4vningsteknik

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo.

July 2019

1 - 5.7 Hanko "Durchgangslager Hanko 1942-1944"
8 - 19.7. Hanko "Hanko 1941-project"














WW2 community archaeology excavation, lectures, excursions and other research. Everybody with an interest in WW2 archaeology can participate, no previous knowledge of archaeology required. Languages spoken are Swedish, Finnish, English and German.

The excavation is arranged by Hangö Sommaruniversitet

REGISTRATION STARTS SOON!
https://hangosommaruni.fi/ 

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast together (+2)

August 2019

22 - 25.8. Lohja









Community archaeology and rescue excavation of an early comb ceramic dwelling site. 

The excavation is arranged by Hiiden opisto.

REGISTRATION STARTS SOON! 
https://www.hiidenopisto.fi/

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo.

31.8 - 1.9. Kemiönsaari (Telegrafberget)










Community archaeology excavation of an optical telegraph station dating to the Crimean War. Everybody with an interest in history or archaeology can participate, no previous knowledge of archaeology required. Languages spoken are Swedish, Finnish and English.

The excavation is arranged by Hembygdsforskarna i Kimitobygden.

REGISTRATION HAS STARTED
https://kimitobygden.hembygd.fi/start/

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo.


September 2019

2.-30.9. "Durchgangslager Hanko" and "Hanko 1941"
Conflict archaeology project surveys and excavations. 

REGISTRATION HAS STARTED
jfarchaeology@gmail.com

Archaeologist MA Jan Fast

October 2019 

7-11.10. Kemiönsaari (Ölmosviken)

Community archaeology excavation of a late stone-age/early bronze-age dwelling site with local schools.

The excavation is organized by Sagalunds Museum with funds granted by The Finnish Cultural Foundation ("Mullankaivajat").

http://www.sagalund.fi/pages/svenska/hem.php

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo.

12-16.10. Kemiönsaari (Ölmosviken)

Community archaeology excavation of a late stone-age/early bronze-age dwelling site Planning in progress with with Dragsfjärds Hembygdsförening. 

https://dragsfjard.hembygd.fi/senaste_nytt/utgravning_i_olmos_28_30_9_2018/

Archaeologists MA Jan Fast and MA Janne Soisalo

Saying goodbye to "Durchgangslager Hanko" 23.8.2018.

This was the last day of excavating "Durchgangslager Hanko" this (2018) season.

Student from Hangö Gymnasium at the dig today. Photo Jose Antono Botella.

Fantastic crew (again) with talented and attentive students from "Hangö Gymnasium" and my trustworthy companions, archaeology student Fanny Fagerholm (Umeå universitet) and Aleksi Rikkinen (Helsinki university).

Archaeology student Fanny Fagerholm, cataloging  German food ration cans in the field.

We finished the excavation season with a "hands on" lecture touching upon the questions of ethics in collecting original WW2 artefacts, illegal digging for relics and the posibilties of crowdsourcing in conflict archaeology.

Illegally dug Soviet ( rare winter camo) helmet for sale on the Internet.

We will continue digging into the history of WW2 in Hanko in September but his time we will be looking at the events in 1941, from the Soviet side. Stay tuned.

Return to "Durchgangslager Hanko" 22-23.8.2018.

This time with a group of enthusiastic students from "Hangö Gymnasium". Despite the sun there was definitely a feel of autumn in the air.

Excavation in progress on one of the many dump sites of the WW2 transition camp.

Despite the rather short excavation time we managed to open up a new excavation area (an extension of excavation area two in the "Ukrainerlager" area of the camp. Nice finds here directly beneath the topsoil. Many small finds (coins etc.) were collected while sieving the dug soil.

Students from Hangö Gymnasium sieving layer one.

An IMCO "trench lighter"

Among the more traditional  finds of food ration cans an other camp debris there were many small finds like this clock winding key and the back plate to a pocket watch.

Among the bakelite and plastic artefacts were parts of soapboxes, a bakelite lid to an OSRAM spare light bulb container and many other small but interesting (still unidentified) finds.

Walking the battlefields!

Very nice blog entry by Phil Curme ("Walking the Battlefields") who visited our WW2 conflict arcaheology dig in Hanko in June 2018.

http://www.walkingthebattlefields.com/2018/08/the-transit-camp-at-hanko-finland-1943.html

Photos from the Hanko front and military museums and WW2 exhibitions

https://www.flickr.com/photos/13150208@N05/sets/72157700069229274/

Fantastic community archaeology digs coming up here in S Finland!

Last week the National Board of Antiquities granted me and archaeologist MA Janne Soisalo the permission to excavate two more stone-age sites this season.

The first one is a truly amazing one!! Between September 28th and 30th 2018 we will be conducting archaeological trial excavations on a very late stone-age (early bronze-age), almost totally untouched dwelling site of  Ölmosviken on the island of Kemiönsaari (Kimitoön).

If you wish to participate just send me an email (jfarchaeology@gmail.com). There´s no participation fee! All you need to participate is an interest in archaeology/history!

Finds are guaranteed :)

Ölmosviken early bronze-age dwelling site

"SA Wehrabzeichen" and other goodies

Only one day left of the 2018 excavation season of "Durchgangslager Hanko" but the exciting finds leads me to think we might be excavating here again in 2019.

 SA- Sportabzeichen "as found" today during archaeological excavations of "Durchgangslager Hanko" 

A. Hitler challenged all able-bodied boys age 16 and up to compete for this award but older military men were also encouraged to obtain it. The badge was one of the few political decorations that the armed forces allowed to freely be displayed on a military uniform.

By December 1936, one million had been awarded. Then by the end of 1943, over 2.5 million had been awarded. We will have this "Abzeichen" sent into conservation so stay tuned for pictures about that process here later this year!

Another "Gebirgsartillerie" related item!

Today we finished the trial excavation of the "Soldatenheim" dump. This fragmentary small tea pot was among the last items recovered this year! We hope to continue excavations in this area in 2019!

German tea pot from the "Soldatenheim Hanko" dump.

 Some of the German coins are extremely well preserved due to the sandy soil!

Archaeology student Fanny Fagerholm is keeping count and measuring all of the hundreds of German food ration cans found during the dig. The contents and origins of this aluminium can was an easy task :)

 Norwegian made "Fischkonserve"

The other items found today included a very well preserved blade of a pocket knife, Smoking utensils and of course the ever present "Eau de Cologne" and perfume bottles.

Discovering a graveyard of bottles. The materiality of a German WW2 "Soldatenheim".

Running the "Soldatenheim" of "Durchgangslager Hanko" was one of the main tasks of the "DRK Schwestern" of the camp.

What a truly exciting day! When the going gets tough you can always rely on the help of an experienced crew to help out with excavating the really tough spots. Yesterday and today we had the pleasure of getting Lasse (SME) and border guard Mika to join us in the research of the German WW2 transition camp.

 

Thank you for your help Mika (top) and Lasse! 

Under the supervision me and Teemu, Lasse and Mika found truly amazing artefacts and helped us big time in excavating the "Soldatenheim Hanko" dump site. This area proved be a true gravesite... a gravesite of bottles that is.

Part of the amazing but rather monotonous finds of the "Soldatenheim Hanko".

One litre wine bottles and schnapps bottles and porcellain litter the area were German soldiers relaxed before going on home leave to Germany.

Wonderfully excavated find layer at the "Soldatenheim Hanko" dump site. Photo Lasse Nyman.

On the excavation site close to the "Ukrainerlager" or "Hilfsfreiwillige" area, the personal belongings of the German soldiers kept turning up as we extended the excavation are a bit to the east and west.

Excavating a "Schnapps" or a Gognac bottle.

 A flashlight battery.

 A razor knife.

 A German soldiers (civilian purchase) red comb.

A flash light.

Lots of intriguing WW2 small artefacts from "Duchgangslager Hanko" today!

The 2018 excavation of the German WW2 transition camp at Cape Tulliniemi is  nearing it´s close but the exciting artefacts just keep on coming!!

A wonderfully preserved Rovaniemi-Petsamo ("Eismeerstrasse") pin!

Today we excavated layer four of the German dump site but we also made an effort to locate new dump sites in the area. In one of these we found this interesting WW2 button.

A Dutch WW2 uniform button, probably picked up as a war souvenir by a German soldier in Holland  before beeing sent to the Nordfront!

We also made experiments using drone videphotography, 3D imagining and photogrammetry. We hope to be able to use this technology and more in our upcoming "Hanko 1941" project.

laser.

Romi Rancken 3D photographing a Luftwaffe spoon found by Lasse Nyman during the excavations.

Below a few more pictures from today :). Overall a great day with a wonderful team.

 Sovjet markings on a porcellain plate.

German WW2 "Nasensalbe" tube (made in Munich).

 Kriegsmarine button.

Sovjet WW2 spoons.

Digging layer four  !