Hakonen et al.
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The archaeological site of Tainiaro in northern Finland is today an ancient vital cemetery dating back to the Mesolithic period, approximately 5,000 to 4,000 years ago.
Even though no evidence of any bones has ever been found from the site, when archaeologists compare the site’s features and use radiocarbon dating, it seems like Tainiaro is one of the biggest Mesolithic cemeteries in Northern Europe.
Excavations in the 1990s revealed evidence suggesting around 40 burials took place, challenging traditional views of the area’s prehistoric lifestyle. Despite the harsh conditions causing organic material decay, evidence of communities in the far north during the Mesolithic period has been uncovered.
Excavations have revealed numerous discoveries, but its interpretation as a cemetery remains a matter of debate.
A new study carried out by archaeologists has found that the site of Tainiaro was a large Stone Age cemetery of the fifth millennium BC where possibly 200 burials took place, rather than a previously estimated figure of 40.
The team interpreted 44 graves dug at the site as burials, but with only a fifth of those excavated, the total number may exceed 200.
It’s possibly one of the largest such cemetery sites to this period known in northern Europe, said the researchers.
By examining archival documents from the original excavations and conducting additional experimental excavations to verify some of the findings, the team discovered symptoms of burns at the site; It could just be fires.
This made the team wonder if the site was used for burials, homes, or making things from stones. Estimates suggest there could be between 115 and 200 burial pits with maybe up to 300 individuals, but the team isn’t sure about these numbers.
The wells seem to have other functions, apparently the site was used for many things, not just burials. More studies are needed to perceive Tainiaro’s role in burials, material experimentation, and its connections with other hidden sites in the region.
“New soil samples can be analyzed for fossilized hair, which has been discovered in Stone Age tombs in recent years,” said Aki Hakonen, an archaeologist at the University of Oulu in Finland and leader of the study.
“Chemical analyses, such as collecting ancient DNA directly from the soil, can provide unequivocal evidence for burial interpretation or reveal entirely new discoveries that will point our Stone Age society in an even more desirable direction,” he added.
The study was published in the academic journal Antiquity.