6,500-Year-Old Site Found by Archaeologists Could Be an Arctic Graveyard, Northernmost Stone Age Cemetery Ever Found

Archaeologists were able to find a 6,500-year-old site in Finland that could have been a cemetery containing 200 graves.

Arctic Cemetery That Was Never Confirmed

They believe that they may have spotted one of the biggest ancient hunter-gathered cemeteries across northern Europe just minimally south of the Arctic Circle. However, the crucial missing thing about the 6,500-year-old site is human skeleton evidence.

Back in 1959, local workers came across stone tools in Simo, which is situated near the Baltic Sea's northern edge, just 80 kilometers to the south of the Arctic Circle. The site, named Tainiaro, underwent partial excavations in the 80s. This led to the revelation of thousands of artifacts, including pottery, stone tools, and animal bones.

The archaeologists were also able to notice 127 possible pits of different sizes that could have been sediment-filled. Some had burning evidence, while others had red ochre traces. Red ochre is a natural iron pigment that is crucial to several burials of the Stone Age.

However, without skeletal evidence, which quickly decayed in the acidic soil of this region, the Taniaro's identification as a cemetery was never confirmed.

Northernmost Stone Age Cemetery?

Recently, researchers reanalyzed previous records and went through fieldwork. They then proposed that the site could have been a large cemetery from the fifth millennium B.C. This would mean that it is the northernmost Stone Age cemetery that has ever been discovered.

During the majority of prehistory, this region was occupied by individuals who had the lifestyle of fishermen, gatherers, and hunters. Archaeologists discovered thousands of animal bones that were burned at Tainiaro, with most of the bones pertaining to seals while others came from salmon, reindeer, and beaver. This hinted that the Stone Age diet involved a variety of meats. It also suggests that the site may have been domestically occupied.

Initially, archaeologists were not sure if the pits were actually graves, hearths, or a combination of both. To clarify the nature, the team looked into the contents and sizes of the pits and compared them with hundreds of graves from the Stone Age in 14 cemeteries. The archaeologists were then able to determine that at least 44 of these may have contained burials of humans. Moreover, the rounded-edge rectangular form of the pits, the red ochre traces, and occasional artifacts show that the pits may have really been graves.

The authors note in the study that Tainiaro should be considered a cemetery despite no skeletal material surviving in the area was found.

Archaeologist Aki Hakonen from the University of Oulu, who led the team, explains that based on the burial pit shapes at other areas, the dead in Tainiaro could have been buried on their sides or backs, with bent knees. He notes that furs could have been present and that the dead could have been wrapped in the skins of seals. Hakonen also notes that red ochre and grave goods may have been mixed into the fill dirt or the grave.

Excavations have only been done on one-fifth of Tainiaro. This means that the number of graves could actually be more than 200.

The researchers are still trying to see if ground-penetrating radar could be helpful, as they do not want to destroy the area. This technology uses radar pulses to detect any anomalies beneath the surface.

Hakonen also adds that future work may even lead to the unearthing of human skeletons, especially if red ochre covers a grave. Hakonen also adds that if they are able to conduct new excavations, they will also test the possible survival of ancient DNA in the soil, though he is not keeping his hopes up.

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