Pottery, language and iron : reassessing Luukonsaari and Sirnihta Wares and their cultural context in Early Iron Age Finland

Pesonen, Petro (author), Piha, Minerva (author), Ahola, Marja (author), Holmqvist, Elisabeth (author), Honkola, Terhi (author)

This paper examines two Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age pottery types in Finland, Luukonsaari and Sirnihta Wares, which were previously poorly defined and dated. New radiocarbon dates and Bayesian modelling place Luukonsaari Ware in c. 2800–2100 cal BP and Sirnihta Ware in c. 2000–1450 cal BP. These periods were crucial for the emergence of coastal farming and inland hunter-gatherer societies. The study explores typological and chronological variations, connections with other pottery types, influences from Textile Ware, and links to proto-languages. It also discusses the arrival of Saami languages, early iron production, and the cultural context of these pottery groups.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Finland, Late Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, pottery, Luukonsaari Ware, Sirnihta Ware, iron production, Proto-Saami, Proto-Finnic
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 186-211
• Numbering: Vol. 52
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180574
• ISSN on article: 1854-2492
• DOI: 10.4312/dp.52.4

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC BY-SA 4.0 je naveden na pristajalni strani članka (glej zgoraj izvorni URL). (Datum opombe: 11. 3. 2026)

• Publication date in RUL: 11.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Documenta Praehistorica
• Shortened title: Doc. Praehistor.
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1854-2492
• COBISS.SI-ID: 220673792

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Lončenina, jezik in železo : ponovno vrednotenje posod vrste Luukonsaari in Sirnihta ter njihov kulturni kontekst v starejši železni dobi na Finskem

Abstract

V članku preučujemo dva tipa posod, Luukonsaari in Sirnihta, iz pozne bronaste in starejše železne dobe na Finskem, ki sta bila prej slabo definirana in datirana. Novi radiokarbonski datumi in Bayesovo modeliranje jih umeščajo v čas med 2800–2100 cal BP (Luukonsaari) in med 2000–1450 cal BP (Sirnihta). Ti obdobji sta bili ključni za začetek obalnega kmetovanja in lovsko-nabiralne skupnosti v notranjosti. V študiji raziskujemo njune tipološke in kronološke različice, povezave z drugimi vrstami keramike, vplive lončenine, okrašene z motivi tkanja, in povezave s prajeziki. Razpravljamo tudi o prihodu samijskih jezikov, zgodnjem pridobivanju železa in kulturnem kontekstu teh posod.

• Keywords: Finska, pozna bronasta doba, starejša železna doba, lončenina, posode Luukonsaari in Sirnihta, proizvodnja železa, protosamijski jeziki, protofinski jeziki

Projects

• Funder: Kone Foundation
• Acronym: Kinura

• Funder: Foundation for the Advancement of Carelian Culture
• Acronym: Rautasaame