Kristiina Johanson | University of Tartu (original) (raw)

Papers by Kristiina Johanson

Fennoscandia archaeologica, 2018

Archaeological collections include hundreds of unworked pebbles and fossils that have been gather... more Archaeological collections include hundreds of unworked pebbles and fossils that have been gathered but never interpreted. In retrospect, it is almost impossible to ascertain whether past people have brought the pebbles and fossils deliberately to the sites, considered them significant and used them in any instrumental or non-utilitarian way. Nevertheless, on the basis of the form, appearance and use-wear and in some cases closed find context of the pebbles, possible functions can be discerned. In this article curing and apotropaic uses will be discussed. Written sources and folklore texts, as well as ethnographical material from different parts of the world from various periods, show that pebbles and fossils have been used for different curing and apotropaic tasks, but these kinds of finds are seldom identified among archaeological material. This paper attempts to do so with an Estonian example.

Eesti Arheoloogia Ajakiri, 2004

Tartu Ülikooli arheoloogia õppetool, Lossi 3, 50090 Tartu, Eesti; Kristiina.Johanson@ut.ee; Marge... more Tartu Ülikooli arheoloogia õppetool, Lossi 3, 50090 Tartu, Eesti; Kristiina.Johanson@ut.ee; Marge.Konsa@ut.ee

Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore, 2006

The article analyses archaeological excavations which were carried out in the county of Lääne-Vir... more The article analyses archaeological excavations which were carried out in the county of Lääne-Viru in the Viru-Nigula churchyard. During the excavation a tomb with two burials was opened -a woman, buried in 1821, and a man, buried in 1841, were studied. From the head of the coffin five sets of glass plates with silhouette portraits were unearthed. These are unique in the 19th-century Estonian context and contemporary examples are not known from neighbouring areas either. In addition to the example from Viru-Nigula tomb, an overview is given of the situation of research into burials of Modern Age as a whole.

Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore, 55, 2013

Abstract: In the following, an overview will be given about the progress of a three-year project,... more Abstract: In the following, an overview will be given about the progress of a three-year project, the purpose of which was to map and study religion-related objects in Estonian archaeology collections and to discuss the terminology for the archaeology of religion. As a result, a database has been created, consisting of
descriptions of over 2000 objects across Estonia, which can be related, one way or another, with religion. An additional outcome of the project is a glossary of the main religion-related terms, which aims at encouraging scholars to define or describe the definitions that are employed in their studies, and especially at
helping them to distinguish between different terms utilised.

Keywords: archaeology of religion, material culture, terminology

Eelmine kokkuvdte L6una-Eesti arheoloogiast (Valk 2002) tegi iilevaate olulisematest kaevamistest... more Eelmine kokkuvdte L6una-Eesti arheoloogiast (Valk 2002) tegi iilevaate olulisematest kaevamistest ja nldistustest piirast "Eesti esiajaloo" (Jaanits jt 1982) ilmumist, h6lmates ka 2001. aasta viilitcidd. Alljiirgnev kirjutis annab teada, mis on L6una-Eesti, s.t Tartu-, Viljandi-, VOru-ja Setomaa arheoloogilises uurimises toimunud piirast eelmise vahekokkuvStte ilmumistr, seda veski kalmistuiihe muistise kahest leidmisest. -viljandi Muuseumi Aastaraamat 2001, 1 12-134. Kalle, Silja 2005: Vdrtsjcirve pdhjaranniktt mesoliitiline asnstttspilt kinnis-ja irdmuististe vdrdluses. Bakalaureusetcici. Tartu. Kiisikiri rartu uliko;h arheoloogiaarhiivis. Kama, Pikne 2010: Arheoloogiline vaateprmkt regilaultrtiitibile "Ema haual". Bakalaureusetciri. Tartu. Kiisikiri Tartu Ulikooli arheoloogiaarhiivis. Kiristaja, Arvis 2003: Setumaa asustus kiviajast keskmise rauaajani (9000 aastat e.Kr. -450 aastat p.Kr.). -sr 1. (Jurimusi setumaa arheoloogiast, numi sma at i kas t, e tno lo o gias t j a aj a I o os t. Tallinn: 7 3-106. Kiristaja, Arvis 2004: Kagu-Eesti esiajaloo kronoloogiast. -sK 2. tJnrimusi setumaq arheoloogiast, rahvakultuurist, rahvaluulest, ajaloost ja geograafiast. Tallinn, I 56-1 8 l. Kiristaja, Arvis 2005a: Saatse timbruse ajaloost muinasajast tiinapiievani.saatse muuseum. Setumaa muuseumid l. Tallinn: MTU Arheoloogiakeskus, l9-44. Kiristaja, Arvis 2005b: setumaa rauaaja linnused ja pelgupaigad. -sK 3.

In the following, an overview will be given about the progress of a three-year project, the purpo... more In the following, an overview will be given about the progress of a three-year project, the purpose of which was to map and study religion-related objects in Estonian archaeology collections and to discuss the terminology for the archaeology of religion. As a result, a database has been created, consisting of descriptions of over 2000 objects across Estonia, which can be related, one way or another, with religion. An additional outcome of the project is a glossary of the main religion-related terms, which aims at encouraging scholars to define or describe the definitions that are employed in their studies, and especially at helping them to distinguish between different terms utilised.

Estonian Journal of Archaeology, 2007

The article discusses radiocarbon dates of 17 skeletons excavated from ten Stone Age burial sites... more The article discusses radiocarbon dates of 17 skeletons excavated from ten Stone Age burial sites in Estonia. The skeletons, dated by the AMS method in the frames of different research projects in recent years, are presented by burial sites together with detailed descriptions of the graves. The graves are compared with one another and main temporal differences and similarities are introduced. If the obtained results are different from the interpretations valid so far, the credibility of the dates is contemplated on. On the basis of the obtained radiocarbon dates the Estonian Stone Age inhumation graves can be divided into four groups: the Early Neolithic (Veibri II, Tamula VII and Kivisaare IV), the end of the Early Neolithic; the beginning of the Middle Neolithic (Tamula VIII and X), the Middle Neolithic (Tamula I, III, XIX and Kudruküla) and the Late Neolithic (Ardu II, Sope II, Tika, Kunila II, Karlova and Naakamäe). The dates enable following changes in the burial customs during the Neolithic more exactly than before. In addition to the burials within settlement sites also separate burial sites have been established all through the Neolithic. Single burials dominate at that time and the deceased have been buried both in straight supine and flexed positions; however, the composition and number of grave goods vary.

Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia 2013, 33–44. , 2014

Kloostrisaar (Eng. 'Monastery Island') is an island in Lake Pühajärv which is situated in the Ote... more Kloostrisaar (Eng. 'Monastery Island') is an island in Lake Pühajärv which is situated in the Otepää Heights in South Estonia. The island with an area of 11520 m 2 has 8 m high shores. According to folklore text a monastery, which was destroyed during a huge war, was situated on the island (Rebane 1929, 7-8). 1 in 2012 Andres Vindi and Tõnis Türna visited the island with two purposes in mind: first, to check the oral tradition, and second, out of growing interest in the possible Stone Age settlement on islands in small inland lakes (Vindi 2012). They found flint flakes, pieces of burnt bone and three sherds of handmade pottery 2 from the lower sandy plateau in the northern part of the island (ibid.). Since the pottery was not earlier than the Iron Age, the site was implicitly titled as a Mesolithic settlement site and an Iron Age find place. Motivated by the interest in possible Stone Age settlement sites on islands in small lakes it was decided to conduct smallscale archaeological excavations on ArchAeologicAl Fieldwork in estoniA 2013, 33-44 1 There used to be a monastery once on Kloostrisaar in Pühajärv and monks lived there. The nobles did not like them and wanted to get rid of them. Then a big war came. For ten years war was waged from mornings till evenings on the shores of Pühajärv. There were so many dead people that even now the churchyard of Otepää is filled with bones to the depth of many fathoms. Many bones have been found also elsewhere around Lake Pühajärv -all the monks were killed on the island. Only three of them, who were not local, could hide themselves in the thatches by the lake and thus survived (Rebane 1929, 7-8; translated by Kristiina Johanson). 2 Finds TÜ 2165.

Man, his time, artefacts, and places: collection of articles dedicated to Richard Indreko. Muinasaja Teadus, 19. Eds Johanson, K. & Tõrv, M., 2013

In February 2010 the 110th anniversary of Richard Indreko’s birth was celebrated, and by March of... more In February 2010 the 110th anniversary of Richard Indreko’s birth was celebrated, and by March of next year 50 years passed since his death. In 2006 Indreko’s personal archive was opened publicly to researchers at the University of Tartu Library. The archive contains his personal and professional letters, article manuscripts, speech drafts, notes and drawings for lectures. This opened up an opportunity to get a brief look at the life and activities of one of the most well-known, perhaps one of the most hard-working, and
possibly one of the most brilliant, but certainly one of the most conscientious archaeologists in Estonia.

Man, his time, artefacts, and places: collection of articles dedicated to Richard Indreko. Muinasaja teadus, 19. Eds Johanson, K. & Tõrv, M., 2013

The present article is a continuation to the previous writing that concentrated on Richard Indrek... more The present article is a continuation to the previous writing that concentrated on Richard Indreko’s life (see Johanson & Tõrv, current volume), and treats predominantly Indreko’s scientific production, starting with the articles on single phenomena and artefacts written during his days in Tartu until the last, wide-scope treatments during his exile that were at least planned to consist of several volumes. In the present article Indreko’s views on Mesolithic settlement, burial sites, idols and figurines, as well as the initial home of the Finno-Ugrians are presented, his popular scientific treatments are observed, and manuscripts that were never printed but are currently preserved in his personal archive (TÜR KHO, 150) are introduced.

The following article gives an overview of the stone shaft-hole axes dated to the Neolithic and B... more The following article gives an overview of the stone shaft-hole axes dated to the Neolithic and Bronze Age which have been gathered randomly from the area of present-day Estonia. While the group of artefacts under discussion forms a big part of the material culture of the respective periods, special attention is paid to the analysis of possible deposition contexts of the stray finds in order to get closer to the settlement, economy and social relations of the time. The main purpose of the article is to interpret the last find place of the axes as a possible settlement, burial place, offering site or the place of secondary deposition. The probable motives behind the activities that led to the deposition are suggested. Next to the contexts of the Stone and Bronze Age, attention is also paid to the belief in "thunderbolts". As widely accepted, stone shaft-hole axes have also been considered "thunderbolts" in Europe, Asia, Africa and America during the Middle and Modern Ages. Arguments are given to date the beginning of the belief in Estonia.

The article concentrates on the widespread belief in the phenomenon of 'thunderbolts'. Stone arte... more The article concentrates on the widespread belief in the phenomenon of 'thunderbolts'. Stone artefacts like Stone Age axes, adzes, chisels, daggers, sickles, spear-and arrowheads as well as Iron Age strike-a-lights are mainly understood by the name 'thunderbolt', but no doubt various natural stones of peculiar or unusual shape were believed to have been created by strike of lightning as well. While corresponding examples of identifying and using 'thunderbolts' are given from different areas of the world, the emphasis is set on the respective Estonian material, introducing both the sources of archaeology as well as of folklore. The author discusses the background and the motifs of the well-known belief in 'thunderbolts' and reaches the conclusion that in Estonia it cannot be dated to a period prior to the Pre-Roman Iron Age when stone artefacts were no longer produced for practical reasons, and it is believed that the motifs of the belief were adopted significantly later, perhaps after the Christianization of the country in the 13th century.

Books by Kristiina Johanson