Table Of Content

The Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Estonia - - The Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Estonia - - Contents Estonian Archaeology 3 VALTER LANG THE BRONZE AND EARLY IRON AGES IN ESTONIA Tartu University Press Humaniora: archaeologica - - The Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Estonia Official publication of the Institute of History and Archaeology of the University of Tartu Estonian Archaeology Editor-in-Chief: Valter Lang University of Tartu, Estonia Editorial Board: Anders Andrén University of Stockholm, Sweden Bernhard Hänsel Freie Universität Berlin, Germany Volli Kalm University of Tartu, Estonia Aivar Kriiska University of Tartu, Estonia Mika Lavento University of Helsinki, Finland Lembi Lõugas Tallinn University, Estonia Heidi Luik Tallinn University, Estonia Yevgeni Nosov University of St. Petersburg, Russia Jüri Peets Tallinn University, Estonia Klavs Randsborg University of Copenhagen, Denmark Jussi-Pekka Taavitsainen University of Turku, Finland Andres Tvauri University of Tartu, Estonia Heiki Valk University of Tartu, Estonia Andrejs Vasks University of Latvia, Latvia Vladas Žulkus University of Klaipeda, Lithuania Estonian Archaeology, 3 The Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Estonia Author: Valter Lang Editor: Margot Laneman Translators: Mariko Veldi and Enn Veldi English editor: Julie Raymond-Yakoubian Lay-out: Kristel Külljastinen Lay-out of maps: Kristel Külljastinen and Jaana Ratas Photos and drawings: Archives of the Institute of History of the Tallinn University (if not mentioned otherwise) Cover design: Meelis Friedenthal © University of Tartu and Valter Lang, 2007 ISSN 1736-3810 ISBN 978-9949-11-726-0 Tartu University Press (www.tyk.ee) Order No. - - Contents Introduction European background 11 Chronology of the Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Estonia 14 About the book in general 15 Acknowledgements 17 Chapter 1. Prerequisites for the Development of an Agrarian Society: the Early Bronze Age 1.1. Settlement and economy 19 1.1.1. Settlement sites 19 1.1.2. Late stone axes 24 1.1.3. Pollen diagrams 31 1.1.4. The first landnam 33 1.2. Society and culture 36 1.2.1. ‘Epineolithic culturelessness’ 36 1.2.2. Exchange of prestige items 38 The earliest metal artefacts 38 The social context of imported items 41 1.3. Centre – periphery relations 44 1.4. Conclusion 47 Chapter 2. Settlement Sites and Settlement in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages 2.1. Open settlement sites 49 2.2. Enclosed settlement sites 55 2.2.1. Fortified settlements 57 Iru 57 - - The Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Estonia Asva 60 Ridala 63 Joaorg at Narva 66 Fortified settlements and their context 67 2.2.2. Hilltop settlements 71 2.2.3. Early ring forts 74 Kaali 75 Võhma and Pidula 77 Massu, Päälda, and Lipa 78 2.2.4. Early promontory hill forts 81 2.3. Developmental trends in settlement throughout Estonia 83 2.3.1. North-western Estonia 83 2.3.2. North-eastern Estonia 85 2.3.3. Central Estonia 86 2.3.4. South-eastern Estonia 87 2.3.5. South-western Estonia 89 2.3.6. The islands and western Estonia 90 2.4. Conclusion 93 Chapter 3. Agriculture and Handicraft in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages 3.1. Land cultivation and cattle rearing 95 3.1.1. Land use systems 96 Clearance cairn fields 96 Block-shaped fields 98 Baltic fields 98 Celtic fields 103 3.1.2. Agricultural tools 105 Ards 105 - - Contents Sickles 108 Grinding stones 109 3.1.3. Cattle rearing and grain growing 110 3.1.4. Land use systems and society 113 3.2. Metal work 115 3.2.1. Bronze work 115 Tha start of local bronze production 115 The bronze trade network in the Late Bronze Age 117 Bronze work in the Pre-Roman and Roman Iron Ages 120 3.2.2. Iron work 120 The first iron items 121 The first iron-smelting sites and the development of local products 122 Iron and the society 124 3.3. Ceramics 125 3.3.1. Pottery making 125 3.3.2. Styles of pottery 127 3.4. Other forms of handicraft 136 3.4.1. Textiles 136 Cloth making based on Textile Ceramics 136 Tools used for cloth making 137 3.4.2. Woodworking 139 3.4.3. Bone working 143 3.5. Conclusion 145 Chapter 4. Graves and Burial Customs in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages 4.1. Stone-cist graves 147 4.1.1 Distribution of stone-cist graves 147 4.1.2. Structure of stone-cist graves 149 Circular walls 149 - - The Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Estonia Cist 151 The area between the cist and the circular wall 152 4.1.3. Burial in stone-cist graves 153 4.1.4. Grave goods 155 Ornaments 155 Tools and everyday items 159 Weapons 160 Stone items 160 Ceramics 160 4.1.5. The age and origin of the stone-cist graves 161 4.2. Ship graves 164 4.3. Cairn graves 166 4.3.1. Cairn graves without circular walls 166 4.3.2. Cairn graves with circular walls 167 4.3.3. The age, distribution, and origin of cairn graves 168 4.4. Early tarand-graves 170 4.4.1. Kurevere-type graves 170 4.4.2. Kõmsi-type graves 172 4.4.3. Poanse-type graves 174 4.4.4. Early single-tarand-graves 177 4.4.5. Burials in early tarand-graves 178 Inhumations 178 Cremations 180 4.4.6. Grave goods 180 Ornaments 181 Tools and everyday items 186 Weapons 187 Ceramics 187 4.4.7. The age and origin of the early tarand-graves 188 4.5. Typical tarand-graves 191 - -