Excavations at the Juoksemajärvi Westend Stone Age dwelling site in 2002
Abstract
The first dwelling depression in the Karelian Isthmus was excavated in June 2002 jointly by Finnish and Russian researchers at the Juoksemajärvi Westend (Bol'šoe Zavetnoe 4) Stone Age dwelling site, in Räisälä municipality. There are altogether eight certain and two possible dwelling depressions known at the site; however, part of the site has been destroyed by a sandpit and thus originally there might have been even more depressions at the site.
Excavations showed that the site had been used in various periods during the prehistory. The earliest occupation dates back to the Mesolithic Stone Age, which is attested by the find material and one radiocarbon date. The studied dwelling depression might date to the Early Combed Ware period but also Late Neolithic dating is possible based on finds and radiocarbon dates. Other parts of the site have also been inhabited during the Typical Combed Ware period . The nature of the site points to a relative residential sedentarity in all settlement phases and the site has been possibly used year-round.
