Cite this as: Seppänen, L. 2025 The Present Role and Future Perspectives of Urban Archaeology in Finland, Internet Archaeology 70. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.70.6
Since the late 19th century, practitioners of archaeology have uncovered a wealth of evidence from past centuries, significantly enhancing our knowledge and understanding of various cities and towns in Finland. While urban archaeology is often associated with excavations related to construction and development projects in urban settings, the field encompasses a much broader array of topics, methodologies and research practices related to urban life and environments, both past and present.
Adopting this broader perspective, the aim of urban archaeology is to document and elucidate the multilayered history and multifaceted structure of cities, as well as elements of urbanism and urban life, in a comprehensive and holistic manner. This includes the historical development of towns and cities up to the present day, as well as analyses of urban features and fabrics from different periods. Consequently, urban archaeology is not confined to the study of material remains and evidence found underground, but also includes extant structures above ground, such as standing buildings, visible constructions, spatial layouts and urban landscapes, as well as the functions and populations of cities. In this paper, I discuss the definitions and preconceptions of urban archaeology and its role, with a particular focus on Finland. In addition to presenting ideas for a more holistic approach to urban archaeology, I reflect on the limitations of prevailing definitions and the implications of restricting urban archaeological heritage to specific historical periods. When considering the role, importance and relevance of urban archaeology in the future, it is crucial to ask who determines the scope of urban archaeology, and on what basis and why. What actions can and should be taken to alter current perceptions and conditions, if change is deemed necessary and desirable, in order to affirm the role of urban archaeology in future society, including academic research and urban development?
Corresponding author: Liisa Seppänen
liseppa@utu.fi /
liisa.h.seppanen@helsinki.fi
School of History, Culture and Arts, University of Turku / Department of Cultural Studies,
University of Helsinki
Figure 1: Among the first urban excavations carried out in Finland were the large excavations conducted in Turku as the result of the construction of a library in 1901–1903 in the centre of the city. Photo: Turun Museokeskus.
Figure 2: Excavations in the city of Lahti, Finland, in 2013 included the documentation and study of the long history of the site, from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century. Photo: Lahti museums/Lahden museot.
Figure 3: The preserved cellars of masonry houses from the early modern period on the premises of the Tårget restaurant, Turku, Finland. If discovered as ruins during an excavation, they would have been considered archaeological heritage and documented accordingly. In this condition and location, they have been considered built heritage without archaeological interest. Applying a holistic approach to urban archaeology, these would have been documented and studied as archaeological features still standing and functioning as part of today's urban environment. Photo: Liisa Seppänen.
Table 1: Differences between excavation-based and holistic approaches in urban archaeology.
City of Turku 2024 Kaupunkiarkeologia, Turku: City of Turku. https://www.turku.fi/kulttuuri-ja-liikunta/museo/palvelut/arkeologia/kaupunkiarkeologia [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Council of Europe 2002 Archaeological Heritage. The Council of Europe initiatives and the Valletta Convention (1992). Tracking down the Traces to Understand the Present, Strasbourg: Council of Europe. https://rm.coe.int/090000168093e3d9 [Last accessed: 18 March 2024].
Dahlström, S. 1929 'Åbo brand 1827: studier i Åbo stads byggnadshistoria intill 1843', Bidrag till Åbo stads historia, Ser. 2, 14. Åbo.
Dixon, J., Verdiani, G. and Cornell, P. (eds) 2016 Architecture, Archaeology and Contemporary City Planning 'Issues of Scale' - Proceedings of the 2016 Workshop 22-25th September 2016, London. Firenze: Universita degli studi Firenze, Dipartimento di Architettura.
Drake, K. 1984 'Stadsarkeologisk forskning i Åbo/Kaupunkiarkeologista tutkimusta Turussa' in H. Brusila, K. Drake and E. Mikola (eds) Historiallisen ajan arkeologia Suomessa/Den historiska tidens arkeologi i Finland, Raportteja/Rapporter 6, Turku: Turun maakuntamuseo/Åbo landskapsmuseum. 92–101.
Finlex 1963 Muinaismuistolaki. https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1963/19630295 [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Fleming, A.K. 2009 'Heritage values, public policy, and development' in G.S. Smith, P.M. Messenger and H.A. Soderland (eds) Heritage Values in Contemporary Society, London and New York: Routledge. 101–12.
Guttormsen, T.S. 2020 'Archaeology as a conceptual tool in urban planning' in K.J. Fouseki, T.S. Guttormsen and G. Swensen (eds) Heritage and Sustainable Urban Transformations: Deep Cities, Routledge Studies in Heritage, London and New York: Routledge. 35-54. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429462894-3
Lehtonen H. and Aalto, I. 2012 Turku II/1/3. Rettigin tontti/Aboa Vetus -museon alue. Suuren kivitalon kellarin K94:9 arkeologinen kaivaus 2012, Kaivauskertomus. Turku: Aboa Vetus and Ars Nova. https://www.kyppi.fi/palveluikkuna/raportti/read/asp/r_raportti_det.aspx?RAPORTTI_ID=147206 [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Lehtonen H. and Aalto, I. 2015 Turku II/1/3. Rettigin tontti/Aboa Vetus -museon alue. Suuren kivitalon kellarin K94:9 arkeologinen kaivaus 2015, Kaivauskertomus, Turku: Aboa Vetus and Ars Nova. https://www.kyppi.fi/palveluikkuna/mjhanke/read/asp/hae_liite.aspx?id=116220&ttyyppi=pdf&kansio_id=853. [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Museovirasto. 2020 Suomen arkeologisten kenttätöiden laatuohjeet, Helsinki: Museovirasto. https://stmuseovirastoprod.blob.core.windows.net/museovirasto/Kulttuuriymparisto/arkeologisten_kenttatoiden_laatuohje_2020.pdf [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Niukkanen, M. 2004 Kaupungit muinaisjäännöksinä - kaupunkiarkeologia Suomessa. Städerna som fornlämningar - stadsarkeologi i Finland, Museoviraston rakennushistorian julkaisuja/Publicationer utgivna av Museiverkets byggnadshistoriska avdelning 25, Helsinki: Museovirasto/Museiverket.
Niukkanen, M. 2009 Historiallisen ajan kiinteät muinaisjäännökset, tunnistaminen ja suojelu, Museoviraston rakennushistorian osaston oppaita ja ohjeita 3, Helsinki: Museovirasto, rakennushistorian osasto. https://stmuseovirastoprod.blob.core.windows.net/museovirasto/Meista/Julkaisut/hist-ajan-muinaisjaannokset.pdf [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
NUA 2023 Abstracts, Nordic Urban Archaeology conference, Copenhagen from the 11th-13th of May 2023. https://download.museumodense.dk/files/publikationer/NUA23_Abstracts.pdf
O'Keefe, T. 2014 'Urban archaeology in C. Smith (ed) Encyclopedia of Global Archeology, Cham: Springer.
Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö 2023 Arkeologista kulttuuriperintöä koskevan lainsäädännön uudistaminen, Työryhmän mietintö. Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön julkaisuja, 2023:39, Helsinki: Valtioneuvoston julkaisuarkisto Valto. https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/165219/OKM_2023_39.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Seppänen, L. 2015 'Do old digs matter? The inspection of past excavations for new information, case Turku' in The eBook Edition of the Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Cultural Heritage and New Technologies, Wien: Museen der Stadt Wien-Urban Archaeology. https://archiv.chnt.at/wp-content/uploads/eBook_CHNT19_Seppaenen.pdf [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Seppänen, L. 2016 'Buried in secrecy, surrounded by mystery, saved as curiosity. Animal grave from the early 20th century in the town of Lahti (Finland)' in The eBook edition of the Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Cultural Heritage and New Technologies, Wien: Museen der Stadt Wien-Urban Archaeology. https://archiv.chnt.at/wp-content/uploads/eBook_CHNT20_Seppaenen_2015.pdf [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Seppänen, L. 2018 'Urban archaeology and heritage as a part of contemporary city planning and identity building' in P. Kouki, P. and T. Kirkinen (eds) Landscapes of the Past and Future: Current Finnish Research in Landscape Archaeology, Monographs of the Archaeological Society of Finland 6, Helsinki: MASF. 29–44. http://www.sarks.fi/masf/masf_6/MASF6_2018.pdf [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Seppänen, L. 2020 'The role of archaeology and heritage in sustainable urban planning with reflections from Turku, Finland' in K. Fouseki, T.S. Guttormsen and G. Swensen (eds) Heritage and Sustainable Urban Transformations: Deep Cities, Routledge Studies in Heritage, London and New York: Routledge. 240–57.
Seppänen, L. 2022 'Ravaging, reconstructing, and reshaping. The transformation of townscape in Turku (Finland), 1300–1830' in H. Deneweth and J.-E. Abrahamse (eds) Transforming Space. Visible and Invisible Changes in Premodern European Cities, European Urban History 58, Brussel: Brepols Publishers. 33–48. https://doi.org/10.1484/M.SEUH-EB.5.129238
Seppänen, L. and Takala, H. (eds) 2022 Raittikylästä kaupungiksi - Lahden kehitys ja elämänmuodon muutos keskiajalta 1900-luvun alkuun, Lahden historiallisen museon julkaisuja 14, Lahti: Lahden museot. [PDF] [Last accessed: 27 February 2025].
Seppänen, L., Verdiani, G. and Cornell, P. (eds) 2018 Architecture, Archaeology and Contemporary City Planning: Reformation, Regeneration and Revitalisation, Proceedings of the workshop, Firenze: Universita degli studi Firenze, Dipartimento di Architettura.
Seppänen, L., Helamaa, M. and Takala, H. 2022 'Löydöt arvopuntarissa. Arkeologisten esinelöytöjen valikoitumisesta museon kokoelmiin', Suomen museo - Finskt museum 2021 128, 71–100. https://journal.fi/suomenmuseo/article/view/112873/66488 [Last accessed: 10 February 2025]
Söderström, M. (ed) 2010 Varhainen Turku, Raportteja 22, Turku: Turun Museokeskus.
Verdiani, G., Cornell, P. and Rodriguez-Navarro, P. (eds) 2015 Architecture, Archaeology and Contemporary City Planning 'State of Knowledge in the Digital Age' - Proceedings of the 2015 Workshop, 18–20th May 2015, Valencia, Valencia: Universitat Politècnica de València, Superior de Ingeniería de Edificación, Departamento de Expresión Gráfica Arquitectónica.
Internet Archaeology is an open access journal based in the Department of Archaeology, University of York. Except where otherwise noted, content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY) Unported licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that attribution to the author(s), the title of the work, the Internet Archaeology journal and the relevant URL/DOI are given.
Terms and Conditions | Legal Statements | Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Citing Internet Archaeology
Internet Archaeology content is preserved for the long term with the Archaeology Data Service. Help sustain and support open access publication by donating to our Open Access Archaeology Fund.
Home
