Stone Age Settlement Discovered Underwater In Finland

AncientPages.com - A submerged Stone Age settlement has been discovered at the bottom of Lake Kuolimojarvi in Finland. The prehistoric settlement is offering archaeologists and unique opportunity to learn more about the human occupation in South Karelia during the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic Stone Age (about 10,000—6,000 years ago).

In the early Stone Age, the water levels in the small lakes located in the southern parts of what are today Lake Kuolimojarvi and Saimaa were several metres below present levels. After this period, the water levels started rising as a result of uneven land uplift, and the tilting of lakes and rivers.

Stone Age Settlement Discovered Underwater In Finland

Drone photo over Kammarlahti. The raft anchored in the research area. Credit: Jesse Jokinen/Museovirasto.

The rise in water levels ended with the outburst of River Vuoksi through the Salpausselka Ridge about 6,000 years ago, when water masses carved a new southeastern outflow channel towards Lake Ladoga.

With the rise in water levels, areas that were on dry land in the early Stone Age have been buried in the bottom of the lake and its littoral deposits.

Many lakes in Finland, such as for example Vanajavesi, Pielinen and Oulujarv have experienced dramatic water level changes and it’s unknown what could be buried at the bottom. This is the reason why underwater archaeology in Finland can help to discover many submerged ancient sites.

“This means that a huge and largely untapped archaeological resource is hidden in Finnish lakes. Moreover, extremely old organic materials may also have been preserved in these environments for thousands of years," postdoctoral researcher from University of Helsinki Satu Koivisto says in a press statement, describing Finland's underwater archaeological potential.

See also:

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The western side of the Kammarlahti bay is sheltered from wind and waves, and for this reason, the prehistoric dry land areas are best preserved in that part. In one of the test pits, we found a distinct layer of burned soil, charcoal and burned rocks. Quartz flakes were also found in the surrounding test pits and these remains show that quartz artefacts had been made at the site during the Stone Age," Koivisto explains.

Stone Age Settlement Discovered Underwater In FinlandEveliina Salo taking samples of the hearth structure. Credit: Jesse Jokinen/Museovirasto.

Underwater archaeologists have also taken soil sample of the burned layer around the hearth and are now trying to find datable material from it.

Archaeology in Finland is still in its early years compared to other countries, such as Egypt, but there is evidence people lived in this part of the world a very long time ago.

Archaeological surprises can be found not only underwater, but also on the ground. In Finland, there are still many unexplored ancient caves that hold many secrets. One of them is called Varggrottan, which means the Wolf Cave in English.

When archaeologists explored the mysterious cave, they found a number of artifacts that suggest this was home to Neanderthals 130,000 years ago.

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