Kierikki

Kierikki is an excavation site in northern Finland that contains the remains of stone age settlements from about 6000 years ago. The grounds show house foundations, and buildings house collections of tools, pottery, and other objects from that period.

Excavations started in the 1960s and revealed that people here lived in permanent settlements rather than following nomadic patterns as previously thought. This discovery changed how archaeologists understood stone age societies in northern Europe.

The site displays pottery and ornaments that reveal how people here created objects for daily use and trade. You can see items that show connections to distant communities through the shells and materials visitors traded across regions.

The grounds have marked paths that guide you through excavation areas and reconstructed houses while reading information about the settlements. It helps to wear sturdy shoes and expect wet, boggy conditions, especially when weather has been damp.

Excavations in 2007 uncovered ancient chewing gum made from birch bark, showing that people here used plants in ways similar to today. This find provides a direct window into the daily habits of this ancient community.