Colonization, Desertion and Entrenchment of Settlements in Western Nyland ca. 1300-1635 AD

Authors

• Georg Haggrén Department of Philosophy, History, Culture and Art Studies University of Helsinki

Keywords:

colonization, desertion, settlement

Abstract

Finland Proper (Sw. Egentliga Finland, Fi. Varsinais-Suomi) and Häme (Sw. Tavastland) formed the core area of Iron Age settlement in Finland. Monuments and sites dating back to the Late Iron Age or to the 11th or 12th centuries can be found from large areas of these two provinces. Less than two centuries later, during the early 14th century, large regions outside this core area were settled. One of the, Nyland (Fi. Uusimaa), was a thoroughly organised province already in the 1320's. Previous researchers have mostly thought that large and virtually unoccupied areas have been colonized during a rather short time period in the early Middle Ages. However, it is very difficult to explain sucha fast change in the settlement pattern in Southern Finland. Recent discoveries by Teija Alenius, Henrik Jansson and Tapani Tuovinen have challenged this common impression. In their articles they have concentrated especially on the development in the Late Iron Age. This article focuses on the Middle Ages and early modern period. The emergence of the privince of Nyland and the Castle Province of Raseborg will be discussed as well as the colonization, desertion and entrenchment of the settlements in the Western Nyland from the early 14th century to the 1630's.