Levänluhta

A historical site full of mysteries.

Levänluhta people in Levänluhta, in Ostrobothnia, South-West Finland, is one of the longest studied archaeological sites in Finland. During the Iron Age this spring site was a pond or a small lake, and it has been archaeologically investigated since the 1800s. Together with the nearby Käldamäki site, it is among the most intriguing Iron Age mysteries in Northern Europe.

Excavations have yielded an impressive range of finds, including precious copper alloy brooches, arm rings and other dress implements together with an imported copper alloy cauldron, suggesting that most of the buried individuals were women, which has been confirmed by osteological studies. A cemetery mainly for women and children is uncommon in Finland.

Levänluhta and Käldamäki sites comprise unburnt human and animal remains, fragmented and scattered within a wetland, starkly contrasting with the burial heritage of its time. The Levänluhta find consist of human skeletal remains of ~100 individuals and represent thus potentially a rich source for ancient molecular studies.