A woman buried in Finland in the Bronze Age era
The Levanluhta site, located in present-day Finland, provides a fascinating window into the lives and practices of people during the Nordic Bronze Age, a period spanning approximately from 1700 to 500 BCE in the Nordic region. This era in Finland is somewhat unique compared to other parts of Scandinavia, owing to its geographical positioning and distinct cultural interactions.
Geographic and Archaeological Context
The Levanluhta site is situated in western Finland, characterized by its wetland environment. It's a notable archaeological location primarily because it serves as a burial site. Wetlands, bogs, or lakes were often used in ancient Nordic societies for ritualistic purposes, including human sacrifices and burials, because of their mystical connotations as liminal spaces between life and death.
Cultural Attributes
Settlement and Society
During the Nordic Bronze Age, Finland's society was organized primarily into small communities or clans, often related by familial ties. These communities were typically self-sufficient, relying on a mix of farming, hunting, and fishing. The landscape necessitated a semi-nomadic lifestyle in some areas, with settlements located near water sources for sustenance and transportation.
Material Culture
The material culture of the region around the Levanluhta site reflects a blend of local and external influences, particularly from Scandinavian and Baltic interactions. While bronze was a significant material in Scandinavia during this time, in Finland, bronze artifacts were less common. Instead, stone and organic materials were more frequently used, reflecting the limited access to metal trade networks.
Artifacts: Items such as stone tools, pottery, and wooden implements have been discovered. Ornamentation, when present, often included amber and bone, with designs reflecting symbolic meanings or social statuses.
Burial Practices and Spiritual Life
Levanluhta particularly provides insights into the spiritual and ritual practices of the period. The site is renowned for its use as a burial place, where numerous human remains have been discovered submerged in waterlogged conditions. This method of burial might indicate beliefs associated with water as a purifying element or a means to connect with the spiritual realm.
Rituals: Burials in wetlands may have had ritualistic purposes, possibly related to ancestor worship or appeasement of deities. The presence of animal remains and ritual deposits could suggest offerings to gods or spirits.
Art and Symbolism
Art from this era in Finland includes simplistic geometric designs and depictions of animals, which may have been imbued with spiritual significance. Rock carvings and patterns found on pottery reflect the cultural exchange between Finnish groups and neighboring cultures. Symbolic motifs often found in bronze work from more southern Nordic regions are less prevalent in Finland, underlining the area's divergent cultural evolution.
Economy and Trade
The Bronze Age in this region saw minimal large-scale trade; however, the exchange of goods such as furs, timber, and amber occurred. Trade routes connected Finnish communities with Baltic and Scandinavian partners, fostering a gradual exchange of ideas and materials. The presence of bronze artifacts, although limited, indicates occasional trade interactions with more metal-rich neighboring regions.
Climate and Environmental Impact
The climate during the Nordic Bronze Age in Finland was cooler and wetter than the present day, which influenced the predominantly subsistence-based lifestyle. The abundance of natural resources like forests and water bodies played a crucial role in daily life, providing materials for tools, housing, and food.
Conclusion
The Levanluhta site offers valuable insights into the Nordic Bronze Age specific to Finland, illustrating a society that, while connected to broader Nordic cultural dynamics, maintained unique regional characteristics. The use of wetlands for burials highlights distinctive spiritual beliefs and practices, while the region's material culture reflects a reliance on natural resources coupled with influences garnered through limited but significant trade and contact with neighboring peoples.
Ancient genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (JK1968) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles ancient populations from different geographic regions.
Modern genetic admixture analysis compares the DNA profile of this individual (JK1968) with present-day reference populations. These results show what percentage of the individual's genetic makeup resembles modern populations from different geographic regions.
These results complement the ancient ancestry components shown in the previous section, offering a different perspective on the individual's genetic profile by comparing it with modern reference populations rather than prehistoric ancestral groups.
The G25 coordinates for the sample JK1968 are as follows. You can analyze its admixture using G25 Studio.
JK1968,0.12197196,0.02416608,0.0953544,0.07741132,0.00529376,0.01295636,0.00809992,0.01527564,0.00183244,-0.02890976,0.01225552,-0.00951108,0.01854,-0.01268308,-0.01144444,-0.01102636,-0.01005652,0.0004346,-0.00456352,-0.00035816,0.00344744,0.00462608,0.000494,0.00240624,0.00187477
Ancient Fennoscandian genomes reveal origin and spread of Siberian ancestry in Europe
European population history has been shaped by migrations of people, and their subsequent admixture. Recently, ancient DNA has brought new insights into European migration events linked to the advent of agriculture, and possibly to the spread of Indo-European languages. However, little is known about the ancient population history of north-eastern Europe, in particular about populations speaking Uralic languages, such as Finns and Saami. Here we analyse ancient genomic data from 11 individuals from Finland and north-western Russia. We show that the genetic makeup of northern Europe was shaped by migrations from Siberia that began at least 3500 years ago. This Siberian ancestry was subsequently admixed into many modern populations in the region, particularly into populations speaking Uralic languages today. Additionally, we show that ancestors of modern Saami inhabited a larger territory during the Iron Age, which adds to the historical and linguistic information about the population history of Finland.