The Stone Age burial site in Majoonsuo was excavated in the Outokumpu area. Small fragments of bird feathers, mammal hairs, and plant fibers were produced during the excavation.
The findings gained through soil analysis are unique due to the fact that organic matter is not preserved in the acidic soil of Finns. The aim of the study was to investigate how soil analysis could be used to trace these materials.
Most of the dead were buried in pits in the ground. Stone Age graves inFinland have little of the organic matter from human-made objects preserved, but it is known that objects made of bones, teeth and horns were placed in the graves.
The grave contains teeth and arrowheads.
The site was looked at by the trial excavation team of the heritage agency. The top of the grave was partially exposed under the gravel road in the forest. The site was given away because of its red hue. Red ochre has been used in rock art all over the world.
In the archaeological dig at the burial site, only a few teeth were found of the deceased, on the basis of which they were a child between 3 and 10 years old. There were two arrowheads made of the same material found in the grave. The burial is thought to have taken place in the Stone Age around 6,000 years before the Common Era.
The near complete preservation of the soil in the grave made the excavation exceptional. A total of 65 soil sample bags weighing between 0.6 and 3.4 kilogram were collected. The soil was analyzed in a lab. Water was used to separate the organic matter. The exposed fibers and hairs were identified using electron and transmitted-light microscopes.
The oldest feather fragments were found in the country.
A total of 24 tiny fragments of bird feathers were found from the soil samples. The feathers came from the down of a bird. These are some of the oldest feathers found in the country. The origin of the down is not certain, but it is possible that it came from clothing made of waterfowl skins. It is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556
One falcon feather fragment was also identified. It is possible that it was part of the ornamentation of the arrows attached to the heads.
There are dog or wolf hairs.
There were 24 fragments of mammal hair that were identified. Identification was not possible because most of the hairs were degraded. Three hairs of a dog were found at the bottom of the grave. The hair may come from footwear made of dog or wolf skin. It is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556 is1-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-65561-6556
A famous burial site in southern Sweden dating back some 7,000 years has dogs buried with the dead.
Even though there is nothing but hairs left of animals, the discovery in Majoonsuo is amazing. We don't know if it's a dog or a wolf, and the method used shows that feathers and fur can be found in ancient graves.
"This all gives us a very valuable insight about burial habits in the Stone Age, indicating how people had prepared the child for the journey after death."
There is a lot of information in the soil.
The plant fibers were found in the acidic soil. The fibers are called bast fibers because they come from plants. They might have been part of a net used for fishing, a cord used to attach clothes, or a bundle of strings. Only one bast fiber discovery dating back to the Stone Age is known in the country, and it's in the National Museum ofFinland.
The technique for separation of fibers was developed in the study. The project has shown the value of soil from archaeological sites.
There was a study published.
The preservation of fur, feather, and bast fibers in the grave of Majoonsuo was studied by Tuija Kirkinen and her team. The journal was published in October.
Journal information: PLoS ONE
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