The project was implemented by a team of archaeologists and geologists from the Karelian Research Centre and Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The main task for the scientists was to comprehensively study the material culture of the prehistoric inhabitants of the White Sea Karelian Coast. To this end, archaeological reconnaissance surveys and excavations of settlement complexes of the Stone Age - Early Metal Age were carried out, their age was determined, natural settings of the ancient population were studied, the topography, climate and dynamics of geological processes in this territory over the past 9 thousand years were reconstructed. Geologists sought to trace shoreline displacement in the studied areas.
The scientists surveyed a 40-km stretch of the coast from the Keret’ River mouth to Sonostrov Village.
– It features a contrasting combination of the environments of freshwater lake-river systems in inland parts of the sea catchment and a specific maritime environment. Adapting to this territory required special skills, perseverance and traditions from the population. Until the beginning of the 21st century, this site had been a white spot on the archaeological map of Karelia, - Nadezhda Lobanova said explaining the specificity of the territory.
Senior Researcher at the Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History KarRC RAS Nadezhda Lobanova
According to the archaeologist, the first findings in this site were made back in the early 2000s during various grant projects. At that time, scientists noted a large number of ancient depressions in the Sonostrov area. Some were arranged in chains of four pits connected by "passages". Curious bipartite hearths were found (named Sonostrov-type hearths), which have no analogues either elsewhere in Northwest Russia or in Fennoscandia.
In 2019, a first comprehensive study of this area - jointly by archaeologists and geologists - was carried out within a project funded by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research. Scientists managed to eliminate a significant gap in knowledge about the archaeological sites and changes in the natural environment over the past 5-8 millennia in the coastal zone between the mouths of the rivers Keret and Sonreka.
Thus, they did the first excavations of semi-subterranean dwellings located along the coast at 17 km from each other and forming interrelated housing and livelihood complexes of the Chalcolithic period.
– The site that has attracted our closest attention is the Korabelnaya Bay-1 settlement. There were 70 pits of dwelling and other functional types, large household pits. Some chains of pits were not just 3-4 in a row, but up to 11 pits. No more such examples are known for either Northwest Russia or Fennoscandia, - said Nadezhda Lobanova.
The site with the greatest number of Early Metal Age dwellings, 140, was Korabelnaya Bay-2.
Inside the dwellings, archaeologists cleared the original stone hearths and collected interesting artifacts. In particular, Sonostrov III settlement contained paleosteological material - bones. Scientists will do the analysis to find out what animals they belonged to.
From the point of view of paleogeography, important data were obtained regarding the time of sea retreat from the territory and its subsequent occupation by humans. As Tatiana Shelekhova explained, one of the main tasks for the project was to date the archaeological sites. The limiting dates, i.e. the oldest possible age of the site, were determined by using the method of isolated basins. The point is that the rate of White Sea coastal uplift during the past 12 millennia varied among sections of the coast.
Senior Researcher at the Institute of Geology KarRC RAS Tatyana Shelekhova
– In historical times, just like now, the seashore was not homogeneous. There were numerous bays with sediment forming on their bottom. In the process of uplift, the bays dried up. This caused lakes to be cut off – there formed isolated basins, which were then desalinated. The narrow band in between, the transition from sea to lake, is key to dating the transition zones. Since it contains organic matter, it is easy to date. We can determine the time of formation of these sediments, i. e., the time when the area around the lake became dry land. And this dating also indicates the time when this area of land was sea. As a result, we find the time beyond which the site could not have existed, – Tatyany Shelekhova explained how it works.
Thus, the maximum possible age of the archaeological sites was determined. E.g., the age of the Sonostrov III and IV settlements does not exceed 6320 years, dwellings in Korabelnaya Bay II site cannot be older than 6720 years.
The researchers reconstructed shoreline displacement for an approx. 40 km stretch, made the respective graphs and maps and aligned them with the locations of archaeological sites.
Additionally, the spore-pollen and diatom analysis methods were employed. Paleoreconstructions of the natural conditions in ancient human habitats were carried out. The Atlantic and the Subboreal climatic stages of the Holocene (3200–7800 yrs BP) were the most favorable time for human dispersal.
– The Atlantic climate warming, the abundance of various food resources in the woods promoted human colonization of the territories emerging from under the retreating sea, – Tatyana Shelekhova pointed out.
Discussion after the lecture
The authors argue that the results pose new tasks and challenges for scientists, so the integrated studies need to be continued. The findings of the study were published in the book “Ancient population of the White Sea Karelian Coast: natural environment, material culture, lifestyles” (in Russian).
The joint presentation by researchers from two institutes elicited lively response from the Learned Council meeting participants. The authors received quite many questions on the subject as well as comments during the discussion.
– It is really important that in the current situation Nadezhda Valentinovna managed to implement such a large project, supported by a number of foundations, and to initiate the formation of a new archaeological province. This is a good example of integration between the archaeological and the geological approaches. At this stage, when archaeological materials cannot provide reliable grounds for dating, geology gives us these grounds, – remarked Alexey Tarasov, Head of the Archaeology Section, Institute of Linguistics, Literature and History KarRC RAS.
Director of the Institute of Biology KarRC RAS Viktor Ilyukha and Chief Researcher at the Mire Ecosystems Laboratory of the Institute of Biology KarRC RAS Oleg Kuznetsov proposed the authors to collaborate in the biological sphere.
KarRC RAS Director General Olga Bakhmet also noted that the results of this integrated study will be of interest for specialists in various fields of science.
KarRC RAS Secretary for Science Natalia Fokina and KarRC RAS Director General Olga Bakhmet
– Such studies certainly hold much potential. These reconstructions of the White Sea coastal stretch will be of use not only for archaeologists. I’m convinced the subject is of interest also for staff of the Northern Water Problems Institute. There are also important biological considerations: how the coastal areas, vegetation and soils were changing. This can be a starting point for quite a number of research areas. This model area can be a source of information on a few other components of the natural environment. We need to support and advance this line of studies, – Olga Bakhmet concluded.
