The Turku City Museum carries out expert and public authority tasks related to archaeological heritage within its domain. In cooperation with the Finnish Heritage Agency, it is responsible for the protection of archaeological remains, archaeological studies such as inventories and excavations, and the promotion of cultural heritage.
The Finnish Heritage Agency is responsible for the study and management of the underwater cultural heritage.
Urban archaeology
Urban archaeology studies the cultural layers of old cities, which consist of layers of soil, structures and artefacts resulting from human activity. In Southwest Finland, this applies in particular to the old town planning area of Turku before 1828, the medieval areas of Naantali and the town planning area of Uusikaupunki established in the 17th century. These areas are protected as fixed antiquities, and the Antiquities Act (295/63) requires that they be taken into account in all land use planning.
In Turku, traces of urban settlement can be traced back to the late 13th century. For example, in the areas of the Cathedral and the Old Great Square, cultural layers are in places more than four metres thick. In Naantali and Uusikaupunki, the layers are thinner.
The cultural layers in the towns include the remains of wooden and stone buildings, vaulted cellars, wells, garden structures and paving stones. There are also old cemeteries under plots and streets. Fragments of utensils, coins, remnants of clothes and shoes, food waste and plant parts have been found in the soil layers, revealing the lives of past inhabitants. Samples of the archaeological finds may be taken for analysis.
The cultural layers of urban areas are a valuable repository of information. They reveal not only the origins and development of cities, but also information about the everyday life of the inhabitants, production, trade and crafts.
Regional archaeology
The archaeological activities of the Turku City Museum cover the whole of Southwest Finland, an area rich and varied in archaeological remains, with almost 3,000 known fixed archaeological sites - a number that is growing every year. Up-to-date information on all the archaeological remains in the area can be found in the register of prehistoric remains maintained by the Finnish Heritage Agency.
The prehistoric remains of Southwest Finland represent the oldest layer of our cultural landscape. The area contains remains from the prehistoric period (c. 8000 BCE - 1150 CE) and from the historic period (1150 CE -).
The remains include, among other things, dwellings, cemeteries, burial mounds, sacrificial sites, ancient fortresses and ancient fields.
The remains are automatically protected under the Heritage Act (295/63) and no separate action is required for their protection. The Heritage Act requires that all land use planning must take into account the presence of fixed prehistoric remains.
The Turku City Museum is responsible for the protection and study of prehistoric remains in Southwest Finland.
Archaeological finds
Prehistoric finds
Findings from the prehistoric period are mainly catalogued in the collections of the National Museum of Finland. This is based on the Finnish Heritage Act, which gives the National Board of Antiquities the right to claim the finds for the state collections.
The prehistoric finds in the collection of the Turku City Museum are mainly scattered finds, which have been recovered from different parts of Southwestern and Southern Finland. Most of these finds were collected by the mid-20th century. Only a few finds from archaeological excavations are in the collection, such as those from Taskula in Maaria and Jordbro in Dragsfjärd.
The City Museum's collection contains around 1,600 prehistoric objects dating from the Finnish Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. The Stone Age artefacts mainly include stone axes and chisels. There are fewer Bronze Age and Iron Age artefacts, but the collection includes spearheads, swords, shield bosses, knives, axes, bronze ornaments and pieces of pottery.
Historical finds
Most of the artefacts in the Turku City Museum's historical collection have been found in urban archaeological excavations in Turku. Excavations have been carried out both in the area of the medieval city and in the later settlements of the 17th and 18th centuries.
The range of objects found in urban archaeological excavations is wide. When the soil is moist and anaerobic, organic materials such as leather and wood are well preserved. Most finds are preserved as fragments, but whole objects are less common.
Excavations have yielded fragments of clay and glass vessels, leather shoes, knife sheaths, locks, keys, pins and spindles. Tiles from tiled ovens, window glass, fragments of textiles and lead seals from cloth packages, as well as bags, belts, buckles, beads, rings, tokens and dice have also been found. The objects tell the story of the daily life of the town's inhabitants.
The museum's collections also include rare objects such as medieval pilgrimage signs and writing tablet cases. The specimen collection includes samples for timing and soil, structural fragments and animal bones.
Archaeology as a hobby and metal detecting
New information on the archaeological heritage is constantly accumulating, and more and more new sites are being discovered by active archaeology enthusiasts. The Turku City Museum offers advice on archaeology and provides guidance and encouragement for responsible archaeological practice. The City Museum works closely with local metal detectorists and other archaeology enthusiasts. The museum's archaeologists inspect new sites and objects together with the discoverers.
Archaeological collections
The Turku City Museum has an extensive collection of archaeological artefacts and samples, which has been accumulated since the late 19th century through scattered finds and archaeological research. The collection contains artefacts from both prehistoric and historic times. The majority of the archaeological collection consists of objects found during urban archaeological excavations in Turku.
The City Museum's collection contains around 1600 prehistoric objects dating from the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. The prehistoric finds are mainly scattered finds, recovered from different parts of Southwestern and Southern Finland. Most of these finds were collected by the mid-20th century. There are only a few prehistoric finds deposited in archaeological excavations, such as the finds from Taskula in Maaria and Jordbro in Dragsfjärd. Nowadays, prehistoric finds are mainly catalogued in the collections of the National Museum of Finland.
The urban archaeological collection is accumulated through archaeological investigations in the layers of Turku, ranging from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. The range of objects found in urban archaeological excavations is wide. When the soil is moist and anaerobic, organic materials such as leather and wood are well preserved. The artefacts found in the excavations tell the story of the everyday life of the city's inhabitants. The artefacts tell the story of the everyday life of the town's inhabitants. The museum's collection also includes rare objects such as medieval pilgrimage signs and writing tablet cases. The collection of specimens includes samples for timing and soil, structural fragments and animal bones.