Researchers from the University of Turku have conducted excavations at the Järvensuo 1 lake site, located in southern Finland, obtaining findings that shed light on the Paleolithic communities of the region.

The site, occupied between 6000 and 2000 BCE, is preserved under peat bogs and has provided numerous organic remains, which are uncommon in the region’s difficult acidic soil.

In the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, 25 square meters were excavated, revealing 87 wooden artifacts, bark, and plant fibers, comprising 70% of the recovered materials. These include utensils, figurines, and – most significantly – part of a fishing net with textile remains, ropes, and knots.

Location and stratigraphy of Järvensuo 1. A) peat; B) fine detritus gyttja; C) coarse detritus gyttja/sand. The cordages were found in the oldest horizon (C) representing shallow water conditions. Wood and bark artefacts were found in all horizons, most abundantly in the youngest horizon (A), reflecting the paludified shoal zone
Location and stratigraphy of Järvensuo 1. A) peat; B) fine detritus gyttja; C) coarse detritus gyttja/sand. The cordages were found in the oldest horizon (C) representing shallow water conditions. Wood and bark artefacts were found in all horizons, most abundantly in the youngest horizon (A), reflecting the paludified shoal zone. Credit: S. Koivisto / Antiquity

The conservation process is still ongoing, but these findings provide access to components of daily life that are typically inaccessible.

Technological analysis of the materials indicates the preferred use of pine and birch, both for wood and bark. Woodworking techniques such as faceting, notching, and planing have been identified, along with techniques like splitting, carving, and polishing. Among the finds is a snake figure carved from a single piece of juniper.

Net floats were exclusively made from pine and birch bark, featuring various perforated and grooved shapes. Radiocarbon dating of a spindle-shaped float indicates an age of 2461-2209 BCE.

A) and D) fishnet pebble sinkers with birch bark wrapping and bast cordage; B) and F) pine bark fishnet floats; C) carved head of a wooden snake figurine; E) wooden shaft/hook; G) carved ladle/figurine; H) snake figurine from above
A) and D) fishnet pebble sinkers with birch bark wrapping and bast cordage; B) and F) pine bark fishnet floats; C) carved head of a wooden snake figurine; E) wooden shaft/hook; G) carved ladle/figurine; H) snake figurine from above. Credit: S. Koivisto / Antiquity

Another direct dating conducted on a knot provides the earliest date for rope-making in the region, between 4933 and 4725 BCE.

The analysis suggests the preferred use of lime, poplar, oak, elm, juniper, and willow for rope-making, consistent with other studies. The abundance of lake and forest resources explains the site’s long occupation.

Järvensuo 1 is one of the few sites in northern Europe that has preserved such organic remains. Its findings contribute to a better understanding of technologies and resource utilization by the hunting, gathering, and fishing communities of the region, which are typically invisible to archaeology.

Microscopy imaging of the bast cordage knots and fibres
Microscopy imaging of the bast cordage knots and fibres. Credit: J. A. Suomela / Antiquity

These discoveries challenge the traditional approach based on the few durable remains and provide a more nuanced view of past societies in boreal regions.

Sources

Koivisto S, Suomela JA, Lempiäinen-Avci M. Artisans of the Stone Age: the utilisation of plant- and wood-based raw materials at the wetland site of Järvensuo 1. Antiquity. 2024;98(397):e3. doi:10.15184/aqy.2023.180

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