Mesolithic Paradise

Three weeks in Keitele are finally over and the excavations were conducted successfully to the end. While our days in the trenches remained scorching hot due to the unusually long heatwave, the nearby lake provided some comfort and the multitude of finds kept our spirits high! Even though the finds are still waiting to be examined and the report to be written, I can share some initial thoughts of the excavations at this site that proved to be a Mesolithic paradise to any Stone Age archaeologist.

Fire place from the first week getting slowly uncovered.

As we had opened three trenches on the first week, we continued the work on all three areas, while also opening some smaller test trenches to see the extent of the archaeological potential.

Photo: Sara Perälä
The site continued to be rich in finds, although the variety of them was as narrow as expected from a Mesolithic site in Finland. Basically, almost all finds could be divided into two categories - animal bones and quartz. The latter category however contained a variety of objects, flakes and cores. While the osteological report will shed more light into the consumed animals, based on last year's excavations at the site and the multitude of found scrapers, it's reasonable to assume that the dominant mammal species is elk, while smaller bones belong to a variety of fish species.

Besides quartz and bone finds, some primitive stone objects were discovered as well, including the chisel fragment shown on the photo.

The fireplaces we had located on the first week were researched more closely as well, and both coal and soil samples were taken for further research in the laboratory. While coal samples will be sent to Uppsala for radiocarbon dating, soils samples will be mine to examine later under the microscope for potential plant remains.

After all work was done, it was time for us to head straight to Tornio for yet another excavation - this time diving into the historical period of the city. Finds from Keitele will be further researched after the excavation season is finished and a report can be expected later this winter. I will be sure to post more about our lab work later the year to showcase what awaits after the fieldwork.
Location: Keitele, Suomi

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