Local settlement history of Lahti area as shown by pollen analysis

Abstract

From the point of view of its settlement history, the town of Lahti is situated in an interesting position at the intersection of the areas of eastern and western influence within Finland. The area possesses archaeological finds dating back almost 9000 years. Detailed palynological analyses were carried out on sediments from two lakes located about 3 km apart to the east and north-east of the town. Those taken from Alasenjärvi contain pollen indicative of local settlement from the Mesolithic period onwards, with a quantitative and qualitative increase during the Neolithic. The first Cerealia pollen dates from the early Iron Age, and the first pollen indicative of permanent agriculture is encountered at 525 ± 180 BP (St-6339) = AD 1425. The Joutjärvi diagram extends back as far as the transition from the Neolithic period to the Bronze Age, and is identical with that from Alasenjärvi in its indications of early settlement. On the other hand, this site in the immediate vicinity of Salpausselkä possesses earlier evidence of permanent agriculture, from 1025 ± 90 BP (St-6338) = AD 925, coinciding with the age of a cemetery site from the Viking period at the village of Ahtiala, east of Alasenjärvi. Although the artefacts found at this site are of an eastern style, the C^-date obtained does not point to the arrival of agriculture from that direction, for dates of 1380 ± 100 BP (Hel-509) and 1600 ± 150 BP (Hel- 403) (Vuorela 1975) have earlier been reported for the corresponding event about 80 km west of Lahti in the parish of Hattula, also immediately adjacent to Salpausselkä.