Northern Europe, 09 FINLAND (E): Roman Period (09-400)

While the Romans did not conquer Finland, in Finnish archaeology the Roman period is named as such due to the significant trade and cultural influence of the Roman Empire.

The period is marked by a notable influx of imported artefacts from the Empire, including iron tools, weapons, glassware and Roman coins, which suggests a rise in prosperity in coastal areas.

Evidence points to local iron production, largely from bog iron, occurring alongside imported goods. The vast majority of gold treasures found in Finland date back to this period.

The first complex social structures, interpreted as chiefdoms or proto-states, emerged in the historically important areas of southwest Finland (=Finland proper=Varsinais-Suomi) and the central south coast (Nylandd=Uusimaa).

The inhabitants, particularly an elite in the south and west, exchanged local products like furs, for these Roman and other foreign luxury items, and the Finnish word for money, raha, originally meant ‘fur pelt’, indicating the importance of the fur trade as a form of currency.

The (Proto-) Finnish culture became more stable in the coastal regions, and larger, more permanent graveyards became commonplace. The introduction of structured burial traditions, such as tarand graves (characterized by distinctive rectangular stone enclosures) and cremation pits is linked to an influx of migrant groups and the development of a more sedentary, hierarchical society and potential elite.

Early pollen analysis indicated that agriculture with emmer wheat and flax (flowering plant) was practiced, but later research showed that barley became the dominant crop during early stages of agriculture.