Mysterious Prehistoric Sites of Finland

Sammallahdenmäki is a Bronze age burial site including 36 granite burial cairns dating back more than 3000 years, from 1500 to 500 BC. Sammallahdenmäki is an exceptionally valuable example of Finland’s Bronze Age culture because it presents the ancient monuments in a well-preserved natural milieu. It’s designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.Two of the most spectacular cairns are the quadrangular "Chuch Floor" and the dike-like "Long Ruin of Huilu". A typical feature of the Sammallahdenmäki cairns are the stone cists, boxlike structures formed by stone flags standing on edge and forming end and side walls or only one or the other. The cist may have originally contained a body in a wooden coffin, or the dead person may have been wrapped in animal skins. On the other hand, the cist may also have served as a receptacle for the ashes of a cremation burial. Remains of cists are still visible in some of the unexcavated cairns as well as in one cairn reconstructed after investigations.Direction signs guide the visitor to Sammallahdenmäki from Highway 12 (Rauma–Huittinen). At the township of Lappi, the route turns north along Road 2070. After ca. 3.5 km the route turns left along a side road marked by a direction sign. The route ends at an information sign.

The hill fort in Rapola Ridge the largest ancient fort in Finland. As is the case with most hill forts in the Baltic area not much is known about its exact origins or purposes. One postulation is that it was built by the inhabitants in their struggles against invading Novgorodians and Swedes. According to excavations, the fort seems to have been in operation at least during the 13th and 15th centuries. Parts of it may be even earlier, since the area has been inhabited already in the 7th century. The medieval Sääksmäki church is located nearby, and the oldest signs of farming in Finland (dated 200 BCE) is also found there.The fort was partly constructed on a natural hill that was eventually entirely fortified. The fort was 400 meters long and 200 meters wide. Remains of the earth walls are still visible. There is a guided path through the hill fort beginning at the car park of Voipaala manor.Reference: Wikipedia

Hakoinen Castle was an ancient hill fortification, but nowadays there's only some ruins left. Dated medieval, the fortification was situated on a very steep rock by lake Kernaala (Kernaalanjärvi) reminiscent of a hill fort tradition. The top of the rock is 63 meters above the water level in the lake. Today very little remains of the castle. Equally little is known about its origins. One postulation is that it was built by the Swedes as their original stronghold in the medieval Häme area.

The hill fort is located to the rock hill with high cliffs in Pisamalahti. The hill fort rises about 55 meters above Enovesi lake.First record of the fort dates back to the year 1561, but it was probably built in the Iron or Middle Ages. According one hypothesis it was built by Carelian people against conquerors from Tavastia (Häme) historical province. There is a 120 meters long and 2-3 meters high stone wall on the top of the hill.Pisamalahti hill fort is one of the most valuable ancient fortresses in Finland. The hill and the surrounding lake landscape are popular tourist attraction in the Sulkava area.

The Hossa Värikallio rock paintings are amongst the largest prehistoric rock paintings in Finland. The pictures on the rock wall rising from Lake Somerjärvi were painted in the Stone Age, i.e. about 3,500 - 4,500 years ago.Paintings were painted from a boat or when standing on the ice of the lake. On the surface of the rock wall there are 61 separate figures depicting scenes of hunting and shamanic rituals. The paintings have probably been used for marking a route or describing events.Värikallio is accessible all year round. In summer there is a trail leading to the paintings, and an observation platform has been built in front of the cliffs. In winter there is a skiing trail to the cliffs and a snowmobile trail nearby. The access to the paintings is free-of-charge. Theme guiding for groups is subject to a charge.

Susiluola (Wolf Cave) is a crack in the Pyhävuori mountain. The upper part of the crack has been packed with soil, forming a cave. In 1996, some objects were found in the cave that brought about speculations that it could have been inhabited in the Paleolithic, 120,000 to 130,000 years ago. These objects, if authentic, would be the only known Neanderthal artifacts in the Nordic countries. However, there is disagreement as to whether Neanderthals actually settled in the cave.Archaeologist have found about 200 artifacts, some 600 pieces of strike waste, scrapers and bolt stone, and heated stones from an open fire. The objects are made of various materials, including siltstone, quartz, quartzite, volcanic rock, jasper and sandstone; as siltstone and quartzite don't occur naturally in the area, at least some of these must have come from elsewhere.The ground in Wolf Cave consists of at least eight layers, of which the fourth and the fifth are the geologically and archeologically most interesting. The stone material that has been found appears to have been worked with several different techniques - tools of stone with good processing structure, such as fine-grained quartzite and red siltstone, have been worked in a way that is typical of the Middle Paleolithic, probably from the Mousterian era, while quartz, other quartzite, and sandstone have been worked with the earlier Clactonian technique.Large quantities of bones from mammals and their prey have also been found, mostly in the upper layers of the cave, though it is not certain that any of the bone material dates from before the last ice age.Due the research work and falling boulders the public does not have access into Wolf Cave, but there is a walking trail about 1 kilometre long from the Tourist Center to Wolf Cave. The trail takes you past a rock garden, a bronze-age burial site and a "devil's field" (a moraine). The Wolf Cave Tourist Center is located on Paarmanninvuori hill in Karijoki, about two kilometres from the downtown area of Karijoki in the direction of Kristiinankaupunki. The Wolf Cave Tourist Center is open daily during the summer months.References: Wikipedia, official web site

So-called Jätinkirkko (“the giant’s church”) of Kastelli is a rectangular stone rampart measuring 36 x 62 meters. It dates back to the Stone Age and is one of the most significant ancient structures in Finland. The fort was probably built between 2700-2200 B.C like most of the stone constructions in northern Botnia.The structure is located at top of the hill. The rampart, which is two meters high in its present state, has six gateways. In the environs are more than twenty rock cairns, a representative group of ten trapping holes and a stone age dwelling site lower on the slope.Kastelli represents the earliest monumental construction in Finland in a form which is rarely found in hunter-catherer cultures. National Board of Antiques has submitted Kastelli site to the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

The 65 rock paintings of Astuvansalmi are the largest found in the whole of Scandinavia. The oldest paintings are made 3000 - 2500 BC. They are located at the highest level (about 11 metres). The water level changed very fast about 2,5 metres with the landslide of Vuoksi. Later on the level slowly went down 8 metres to its present level. All the later paintings have been made from boats during the different historical water-levels. The form is clearly visible during wintertime while viewed from the ice of the lake.The Astuvansalmi rock paintings contain the following pictures: 18-20 elk, about as many human figures, tens of hands and animal tracks, 8-9 boats, geometrical figures and pictures that are thought to show a fish and a dog. The paintings could have a link to the Siberian and North European shamanistic tradition.Other archeological artefacts have also been found on the site at the bottom of the lake, for example small amber statuettes of old gods, animal jewellery and arrowheads.

Rikalanmäki was one of the most remarkable Bronze and Iron Age towns in Finland. According legends, It was a very wealthy trading centre. The heyday of Rikalanmäki was in 11th and 12th centuries when Vikings and foreign merchants exchanged metals and weapons to fur from inner Finland. There are evidences of indirect trade connections even to the Arabic countries. According the legend Birger Jarl landed to the Rikala harbor to start the second crusade to Finland.Archeologists have found several remarkable treasures from the ancient cemetery in Rikalanmäki including swords, personal equipments, money and remains of clothes. Most valuable artifacts are so-called Sword of Gicelin and silver jewels named as “Halikon käädyt”. Both findings are from the 12th century and situated to National Museum in Helsinki.Rikalanmäki hill is one of the most significant archaeological sites in Finland as well as one of the most important cultural landscapes protected by the National Board of Antiquities in South-west Finland. A signposted archaeological trail sheds light on the rich past of the hill. Exhibitions and an open-air theatre in summer, as well as a summertime restaurant.

Levänluhta is a swampy source known for mysterious prehistoric findings. According archaeological excavations about hundred people have been buried to the former lake of Levänluhta in the Iron Age. Archaeologists have also found several remains of bronze and silver jewelry and tools.There are remains of buried children, elderly and animals of different ages. The human bones of Levänluhta are dated to the 300-700's. They are historically thought to be sacrificed human victims, but the site can also be an ancient cemetery for people died of starvation or diseases.