The handbook of a young archaeologist

Ilari Aalto 2019: Jatulintarhoja ja hiidenkiukaita : nuoren arkeologin käsikirja
Illustrated by Elina Helkala

This book is fascinating! I even learned a few new Finnish words. All the things you learn, when you read. And  I couldn't decide, which picture to have here, so I took several.

The book is a guide in seeing things under our feet. Why is the medieval outhouse a treasure trove to the archaeologists?  The Egyptians weren't the only to use the shape of the pyramid. Of course, ours is much smaller and modest, but the burial of the dead was a ritual here in the  North as well. And they were not called pyramids, but hiidenkiuas (the stove in sauna). Very interesting. The book goes backward in time all the way to the stone age. Just keep digging.

Nature is very much present in the diggings, the Ukonkivi island in Lapland was a sacred place for Sami people.  And many other natural formations were important to people in the past. And they should be in the present.

Medieval Cities in Finland (as a province of Sweden)

One thing that bothers me is that as Finland was part of Sweden for hundreds of years, the name of the country is Sweden-Finland in all the study books. Why? There never was such a country: there was only Sweden and Finland was only its province, like Skåne. We never hear about a country called Sweden-Skåne.  Are we so petty that we need to exaggerate our importance?

Pyramids of the North

Stone of Ukko

Helsinki before Helsinki - the archeology of the old city in comic

Jaana Mellanen 2014: Helsinki ennen Helsinkiä - Vanhan kaupungin arkeologiaa sarjakuvina

Very informative comic about old Helsinki, before it was our capital. The old Helsinki is not there anymore, it is underground.
Helsinki was grounded in 1550 by Swedish King Gustaf Vasa and it was just like the other cities: groups of gray log houses, church  and town hall in the middle. The blocks followed the forms of the land.


The comic is a mix of present day archiologists digging and the past people living in the old Helsinki back in 1550. The book is also illustrated with images of the artifacts from the digs and illustrations of the buildings that used to be.

The most important things were a well, which provided fresh water, the church, which was documented since the clergymen were almost the only who could write.

First church of Helsinki, which was burned in 1670s.

Some information was also found about the clothing, which people wore, the jewellery (read iron decorations not gems or gold).

One section focuses on the food and drink and the items associated with it.

The book has a nice mix of comics and photos, making the story alive. A great book to learn about Helsinki.

Map of Helsinki 1645. Only the church is drawn.