Around Satakunta: Many Periods of Karvia

While Satakunta has many famous archaeological sites to offer, sometimes it's fun to diverge from the paved path and seek something entirely different. For me, one of the most memorable trips from this summer was a long drive through the northern parts of the province, where I was met by sites from various periods from the early Mesolithic to the Swedish era and even up to the World War II. As the distances in the north are as great as the gaps between the periods of various sites, I will only concentrate on Karvia, which alone has much to offer to any curious soul.

Kyrönkankaan tie - a road that was first mentioned in 1556 and has seen many uses ever since.

Pantti

The impossible task of taking photos of dwelling sites.

A great place to start your Karvia tour is from the very beginning of human habitation in the area. Pantti is a Stone Age dwelling site, which has not yet seen much research and the finds from the first survey include only quartz flakes and bone. However, based on its height from sea level, the site has been been dated to the early Mesolithic period, making it the oldest known site in the whole province.

While Stone Age sites are rarely visible on the surface, Pantti is a peculiar in the sense that you can still clearly see where one of the huts lied, as an impressive hut depression has preserved well to this date. The hut depression is 9 m long, 6 m wide and 0,5 m deep and it's on top of a low embankment of earth. As such signs of early human habitation are not usually very visible on photos, it's best to visit it yourself, so that you know what to look for whenever hiking in the woods!

Address: Latikantie 19

ETRS-TM35FIN: 6899025, 267378

There's no designated parking area in the woods, but the site is right next to a broad dirt road, so it's easy to leave your car by the road while visiting. As the site has not been thoroughly researched, there's no information signs and there's only a limited amount of information online.

Kyrön skanssi

Site on a 17th century map stored at National Archives.

There's no question on what's the most prominent site in Karvia, as this one is even depicted on its coat of arms. Kyrön skanssi was a small fortress built for the Swedish army in the 17th century. According to archival sources, it was in use 1635-1659, during which it was occasionally used as a base to capture deserters and for supervising the area. Afterwards the fortress was used as a tavern until its destruction by Russian troops in the Great Northern War in 1713.

Nowadays, ruins of one of the redoubts still exists on the steep bank along Karvianjoki river. While the site is overtaken by nature, it is still clearly visible and when observing the surroundings, it's obvious why the site was chosen for the redoubt.

Address: Kauraharjuntie 47

ETRS-TM35FIN: 6890457, 264910

There's no designated parking spot, but there's a small forest road at aforementioned address where you can easily leave the car and walk the rest of the way to the riverside. There's no information signs either, so remember to read more on Wikipedia or Kyppi in advance.

If you're on the road during summertime, pop by the old school of Karvia (Karviantie 720), where you can see an informational exhibition about the site and finds made around it. Exhibition was open every day from 12 pm to 4 pm during summer 2019, but 2020 schedule hasn't been posted yet, so you might want to makes some calls before visiting! But if you do, pay also attention to the culture house Skantz next door, as this peculiar construction was designed with Kyrön skanssi in mind!

Karvia Airfield

What once was hardly remains.

Continuing the route towards more modern history, you might also want to pop by the abandoned airfield of Karvia. The construction of the airfield was finished in 1936 and during the Winter War, it consisted of multiple hangars and other buildings, including a canteen run by Lotta Svärd. During the war, up to two hundred men served at the field and at the end of it, 15 airplanes resided there. During Continuation War, the airfield saw less action, as it became evident that the fine dust rising from the unpaved runways endangered the motors of the planes.

After the war the airfield was used for airshows and pest control flights, but eventually it was abandoned and left for nature. While I haven't found sources of later activities in the area, it seems like it has been used as practice grounds by the Finnish Defense Forces, as the area still has multiple trenches and potholes that mix with wartime remains. In any case, observing such structures makes a reason for a pleasant walk around the area and a person with sharp eyes can still spot shells from 1940s on top of the sandy ground!

Address: Lentokentäntie 39

ETRS-TM35FIN: 6892576, 265296 (potholes and trenches); 6892516, 265588 (airfield)

The airfield is crossed by multiple dirt roads, so finding a place for your car won't be a problem and address is just an example. If you're also visiting the aforementioned exhibition at the old school of Karvia, you might also want to check the brand new memorial stone for the airport as well, as it was revealed right in front of the school on August 2nd, 2019.

If not including the possible museum visit, the route through all the sites from the dwelling site to the airfield is around 15 kilometers and visiting all sites shouldn't take much longer than an hour depending on your interest in wandering around the vast airfield!