Bronze Age and Sammallahdenmäki – learning material

Welcome to a journey back in time to the Bronze Age, more than 3000 years ago.

On this website you will find information and stories from the Bronze Age. The material provides interesting information for anyone interested in the subject. It is intended to support the teaching of history in primary schools. These pages show what life was like for people in the Early Bronze Age. The site covers life in the Bronze Age from six perspectives: the Bronze Age (introduction), housing, subsistence, food and utensils, religion, metals and trade.

Drawings: Maria Tuomialho, photos: Rauman kaupunki, texts: Päivi Hakanpää

Maisemakuva Sammallahdenmäen pronssikaudelta peräisin olevalta hautaröykkiöalueelta. Kuvassa näkyy kivestä kallion päälle kasattuja hautaröykkiöitä ja havupuita. Taustalla kauempana näkyy metsää.
Landscape view of the Sammallahdenmäki Bronze Age burial mound area. The picture shows two stone-built burial mounds. The mound on the right is called the Huilu long barrow. The mounds are located on the top of a rocky hill, and the picture also shows conifers, heather and other plants.

The secrets of Sammallahdenmäki

The exciting Bronze Age cemetery of Sammallahdenmäki is a fascinating site for adults and children alike. This unique Scandinavian site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999 as Finland’s first archaeological site. The Sammallahdenmäki archaeological site is home to shallow, circular small cairns, large cairns with a conical shape and circular ring cairns dating from different periods of the Bronze Age (1500-500 BC). The most famous monuments in the area are the almost rectangular burial cairn of the Church Floor and the Long Ruin of Huilu. A rarity such as Kirkonlatta is not known elsewhere in Finland and is exceptional in Scandinavia. Sammallahdenmäki is located about 20 km from Rauma. The area, which is just under a kilometre long, contains 36 gravestones of varying shapes and sizes. This exotic World Heritage Site is worth visiting from afar!

Learning material

Each page consists of a story which deals with the beliefs, burials, livelihoods and habitation of people living in the Bronze Age. The storytellers are imaginary people whose families lived in the foothills of Kivikylä and who buried their deceased in the cairns of Sammallahdenmäki. The stories are based on research conducted on site in 2002-2004 and literature about Bronze Age.

In addition to the actual pages you can brose the glossary that provides explanations for terms and unfamiliar words used in the text. The glossary is in alphabetical order. In the end of each page there is also a link to exercise pages. You can also familiarise yourself with the literature and other websites about Early Metal Age listed in the reference list.

Kuvassa näkyy pronssikauden tyyppisiin vaatteisiin pukeutuneitä henkilöitä sekä yleisöä. Etualalla oleva henkilö punoo kasvinosista nyöriä.
Aerial view of the burial mounds at the northern end of the Bronze Age cemetery of Sammallahdenmäki.

Bronze Age and Sammallahdenmäki

Aerial view of the Bronze Age burial site of Sammallahdenmäki. The picture shows a large, elongated stone tumulus in the centre and part of another tumulus to the left. The terrain is rocky forest.

Religion

Sammallahdenmäkeä, edessä kiviröykkiöitä

Habitation

Kuvassa näkyy kolme pronssikauden tyylisiin vaatteisiin pukeutunutta henkilöä. Kuva on otettu kesällä metsämaisemassa Sammallahdenmäen pronssikautisella hautaröykkiöalueella.

Sources of livelihood

Kuvassa näkyy vasemmassa reunassa selkä kuvaajaan päin oleva henkilö, tämän oikealla puolella kaksi kesäisesti pukeutunutta lasta, joista toinen seisoo ja toinen istuu. Lapset katselevat tarkkaan mitä vieressä tapahtuu. Kuvan taka-alalla on kaksi mustaa lammasta. Kuva on otettu Sammallahdenmäen pronssikaudelta peräisin olevalla hauta-alueella metsäisessä ympäristössä.

Pottery-making

Sammallahdenmäki during the evening sun

Metals and trading

Photo of the Bronze Age burial mound area at Sammallahdenmäki. The picture shows the whole of one low stone cairn. The landscape in the picture is a rocky forest landscape. Coniferous trees can be seen in the background.

Guestions

Landscape view of the Bronze Age burial mound area at Sammallahdenmäki. The picture shows gravestones and coniferous trees piled up on the rock. Forest can be seen in the background.

Sources

Main building and gate of Old Rauma renovation centre Tammela.

Old Rauma