The Baltic Knowledge Page

Information and articles about the Baltic cultures, in the modern countries of Estonia, Finland, Latvia, and Lithuania.

General Baltic History Resources

• The Ecology of Crusading: The Environmental Impact of Conquest, Colonisation and Religious Conversion in the Medieval Baltic - http://www.ecologyofcrusading.com/
• [and its Practical Application.] Virtual exhibition of the Palanga Amber Museum.
• Susie Ward Aber. 1996-2008. //[World of Amber]//. Includes the //[Amber Bibliography and Other Fossil Resins]//.
• [Cartographic Collection of the National Library of Latvia].

Members of SIG interested in this culture:

|| ffride wlffsdotter (Lochac) || ||

Estonia

General

• [terminibaas] [Archaeology terms (data) base], lets you browse for terms in Estonian, and the equivalent term in English, German, Swedish, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Finnish, or Latvian
• //[[1]] //(E-heritage database, incorporates information from the Estonian Museum's Portal, below.)
• //[Museum's Public Portal]//
• //[Teadusportaal]// [Estonian Research Portal]
• //[Arheoloogia Ajakiri]// [Estonian Journal of Archaeology]
• [[2]], the National Library of Estonia's Digital Archives.
• Aivar Kriiska,Tõnno Jonuks, and Peeter Kraas. 1999. //[muinasesemed]//. [Estonia's antiquities], no English summary, but has a large number of photographs of extant finds.
• Reet Truuväärt and Kaie Kesküla. 2013. //[Käsitöö: õpik-käsiraamat kutsekoolidele]// [Ancient Crafts: A Textbook and Guide for Vocational Schools] [Link to PDF download]
• Valter Lang. 2007. "[Bronze and Early Iron Ages in Estonia]" (Tartu: University of Tartu Press)
• Andres Tvauri 2012. "[Migration Period, Pre-Viking Age, and Viking Age in Estonia]" (Tartu: University of Tartu Press)
• Liina Maldre 2007. "[Remains from the Settlement Site of Pada]" //Estonian Journal of Archaeology// **11**(1) 59-79 [PDF]
• Kristel Kivi 2009. “[Küla Kesk- ja Varauusajal]” [The Village of Uderna in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period] (Department of Archaeology, University of Tartu) [PDF]
• Maarja Olli 2010. “[Rooma Rauaaegsetel Ehetel Kirde- ja Kagu-Eestis]” [Ornamentation during Roman Iron Age in north-eastern and south-eastern Estonia] (Department of Archaeology, University of Tartu) [PDF]
• Martin Malve and Ain Mäesalu. 2011. "[excavations on the vaults of Mihkli church , Pärnu county]" //Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia// 1-8.
• Silvia Laul, and Ülle Tamla. 2014. //[Lõhavere linnamäelt : käsitöö- ja ehtevakk 13. sajandi algusest]// [The craft- and jewelry-box from the hill-fort of Lõhavere, from the early 13th century] (Tallinn : Tallinna Raamatutrükikoda) [PDF]
• Jaana Ratas, and Riina Rammo. 2015. "[kadunud tehnikat taastades: spiraaltorudest kaunistused rõivastel]" [Restoring a Lost Technique: Spiral Tube Decorations on Garments] Silmnähtav 6:65-87.
• Keiti Randoja. 2012.//["Laste võimalikud sotsiaalsed vanusegrupid Kukruse ja Pada hilisrauaaegsete kalmistute näitel"]// [Children’s possible social age groups by the example of Late Iron Age cemeteries of Kukruse and Pada]. Bachelor's thesis, (Department of Archaeology, University of Tartu) [PDF]
• The Estonian History Museum [Collections] (scroll down to see the photos).
• //Estonian Silver Hoards// series of posts on livejournal by prommitey. [1]. [2]. [3]. [4]. [5].
• [of the Kumna Hoard], by Terker. Dated //terminus post quem// 965 CE in Leimus, I. 2009. "[Breakthrough: North Goes West]" //Tuna// [Past]; 7-34. [PDF]
• Andres Tvauri, Riina Rammo and Andres Vindi. 2011. "[War-time Hoard from Sargvere Settlement Site, Järva County]" //Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia//; 245-252. [PDF]
• Tõnno Jonuks, and Lauri Joosu. 2013. "[of St. Anthony's Cross with the Crucifixion from Estonia -- Possible Badges of a Folk Pilgrimage]" //Journal of Estonian Archaeology// 17(2); 123-138. [PDF]
  • Discusses some late 16th/early 17th century pendants.

Arms and Armour

• Jüri Peets. 2007. "[Iron Age iron production in Siksälä and southern Estonia]." //In:// Laul, S. Valk, H. //Siksälä: A Community at the Frontiers. Iron Age and Medieval.// (pp. 161 - 166). (Tallinn-Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus)
• Peets, Jüri (2007). "[and edged tools in Siksälä Cemetery. Typology and Technology]." //In:// //Siksälä: A Community at the Frontiers. Iron Age and Medieval// (pp. 167 - 200). (Tallinn-Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus)
• Robert Rootslane. 2013. //[ja Pada maahaudadega laibakalmistute relvadega matuste kontekstuaalne analüüs]// [Contextual analysis of inhumation burials with weapons from Kukruse and Pada Late Iron Age cemeteries] Bachelor's thesis, (Department of Archaeology, University of Tartu) [PDF]
• Rasmus Pruus 2010. “[jäätmekastid Tartus Munga tn 12 hoovis]”[Medieval lavatory cesspits in the courtyard of 12 Munga Street, Tartu] (Department of Archaeology, University of Tartu) [PDF]
  • Looks at a 14-17th c. cesspit containing leather armour!
• Mäesalu, A., Peets, J. & Haiba, E. 2008. “[küünarvarrekaitsmed keskaegsest Tartust.]” [Leather Arm Guards from Medieval Tartu] //Loodus, inimene ja tehnoloogia//, **2**.; 27-36.

Leatherwork

• See the "arms and armour" section for articles about leather armour.
• Margo Samorokov. 2012. //[töötlemine keskaegses Uus-Pärnus läbi kirjaliku ja arheoloogilise materjali]// [Medieval leather production through written and archeological material.] (Master's thesis, Department of Archaeology, University of Tartu) [PDF]

>

Textiles and Clothing - General

• S.K. Laul. 1986. "[эстонцев I-XVII вв.]" [Clothes of Estonians 1-17th centuries]. Древняя одежда народов Восточной Европы.
• Riina Rammo. 2014. "[and transition: the technology and usage of plant-fibre textiles in Estonian rural areas in the 11th–17th centuries]" Focus on Archaeological Textiles. Multidisciplinary Approaches. 3;102 - 115.Also online at: @http://www.sarks.fi/masf/masf_3/masf_3.html
• Riina Rammo. 2015. //[Tartu keskaegsetest jäätmekastidest: tehnoloogia, kaubandus ja tarbimine]// [Textile finds from medieval cesspits in Tartu: technology, trade and consumption]
• Riina Raamo and Jaana Ratas. 2015. "[kadunud tehnikat taastades: spiraaltorudest kaunistused rõivastel]" [Restoring a Lost Technique: Spiral Tube Decorations on Garments] //Studia Vernacula//. **6**; 65-87.
• Mägi, M., and Ratas, J. 2003. "[rõivastus]" [Estonian Costumes] //Eesti aastal 1200// (Tallinn: Argo); 199 - 225.
• Riina Rammo, 2005. "[rõivastel Eesti haualeidude põhjal 11.-14/15. sajandil]." [The bronze spiral decorations of clothing in Estonian grave finds, 11-14/15th centuries.] (Tartu: Arheoloogia Tartu Ülikoolis) [PDF]
• Susanna Kiitsak. 2013. //[Eesti arheoloogilises materjalis]// [Tablet Woven Bands in Estonian Archaeological Material] Undergraduate thesis, University of Tartu. [PDF]
• Mauri Kiudsoo, Jaana Ratas. 2004. "[varauusaegsed peaehted]" [Head Decorations of Early Modern Period Viljandi] //Viljandi Muuseumi aastaraamat//; 112-122. [PDF and [to PDF with colour plates]]
• Ilmari Manninen. 1927. //[rahvariiete ajalugu]// [History of Estonian folk dress] (Eesti Rahva Muuseum)

> Book focusing on the development of Estonian folk dress, has some very interesting pictures of pre-17th century artwork, and items.

• Jüri Saar n.d. [panevad vanad kangad rääkima] [Archaeologists Tell the Story of Old Fabrics] //Tartu Postimees//.A very brief article, but has a fantastic photo gallery of textiles discovered in Tartu Cathedral.[[3]] on the north wall in Karja church, Saaremaa. Believed to depict an Estonian man and woman. 13-14th c. [another photo].
• Corbel from the north wall Pöide church, Saaremaa. Mid-13th century or later showing another couple.[Photo 1], [2], and[Photo 3].

Textiles and Clothing - Kukruse Cemetery

• //[tuttavaks ehk kes on Kukruse memm]// [Get acquainted with Mama Kukruse] discusses a 12-13th century grave of a 40-50 year old woman who was buried with elaborate jewellery. From Grave number 6.
• //[Memm]// [Kukrise Mama], zoomable photograph of the Kukruse Mama grave //in situ//. Grave number 6.
• //[Kukruse naise rõivakomplekti ülesvõtmine]// [Behind the scenes: Kukruse woman's ensemble, taken from above]. Brief discussion of a reconstruction of her outfit. Grave number 6.
• //[kandsid ehteid ka mehed]//, article originally from the Tartu Post Times, with a reconstruction drawing of a woman's outfit from Kukruse.
• Tõnno Jonuks, Tuuli Kurisoo. 2013. "[Be or Not to Be... a Christian: Some New Perspectives on Understanding the Christianisation of Estonia]" //Folklore// (55)3; 69-98[PDF]

> Discusses Kukruse grave number 7, including her jewellery and the remains of a decorated egg.

Textiles and Clothing - Nålebinding

• Jüri Peets, 1987. "[im Bestattungsbrauchtum der Esten und anderen Ostseefinnen]" [Mittens of the dead in the funeral customs of the Estonians, and other Baltic Finns] //Fennoscandia Archeologica// **4**; 105-116. [PDF]
• Leena Tomanterä. 1987."[Nadelhandschuhe aus der jüngeren Eisenzeit in Finnland]" [Appendix: Needle-mittens from the younger Iron Age in Finland] //Fennoscandia Archeologica// **4**; 117-120. [PDF]

Textiles and Clothing - Pariselja Find (ca. 1470–1650)

• Riina Rammo. 2015. //[Tartu keskaegsetest jäätmekastidest: tehnoloogia, kaubandus ja tarbimine]// [Textile finds from medieval cesspits in Tartu: technology, trade and consumption]

> PhD thesis, has Carbon-14 dating of the garment, footnotes 7 and 26. Also, an analysis of the wool used.

• [drawing of the sleeveless garment], taken from Nahlik, Adam. 1965. "Tkaniny Wsi Wschodnioeuropejskiej X-XIII W." //Acta Archaologica Lodziensia//, vol. **13**.
• Reconstruction of garment(s) in the background of the photograph accompanying [news article].
• Malle Valli 2006. "//[Parisselja rabast leitud tekstiilesemetest]//" [Reconstruction of Textiles found in Parisselja bog]
• [negative] from the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM Fk 616: 7

Textiles and Clothing - Rabivere Bog (17-18th c.)

• Riina Rammo. 2010. "[capsule from the late 17th or early 18th centuries: clothing of a woman from Rabivere bog (Estonia)]" [PDF]

> Looks to be a summary of a longer article from [Archaeologiae Historicae]

• [fragment from Rabivere], at the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM A 445:1. [photographs] and details.
• [from Rabivere], at the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM A 445:2.
• [fragments from Rabivere], at the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM A 445:3.
• [fragments from Rabivere], Rammo suggests is a sock, at the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM A 445:4 1/2. [photographs] and details.
• [mittens from Rabivere], at the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM A 445:5/1-3.
• [fragments from Rabivere], at the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM A 445:6
• [from Rabivere], at the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM A 455:7.
• [Swedish coin from Rabivere, dated 1667], at the National Museum of Estonia, acc. no. ERM A 445:8

Textiles and Clothing - Siksälä Cemetery

• Kristel Luiges 2008. "[kalmistu 14. sajandi naisehauast võetud monoiiidi laboratoorsete uuringute tulemustest."/ "Results of the Laboratorial Investigations of the Assemblage of Finds Recovered Together with Soil (the monolith) from the 14th century Female Burial from the Siksälä Cemetery]"

> //In:// Jaanits, L., Lang, L., and Peets, J. (Eds.). L//oodus, inimene ja tehnoloogia 2// (37 - 61). (Tartu, Tallinn: Tallinna Raamatutrükikoda)

• Signe Rätsepso. 2014. [Siksälä naiste peapärjast// ][A reconstruction of a woman’s headband from Siksälä].
• Heiki Valk, and Silvia Laul. 2014. //[kalme I: Muistis ja ajalugu]// [Siksälä tumulus I: Artefacts and History] (Tartu: Tartu Ülikool) [PDF]
• Heiki Valk, Jaana Ratas and Silvia Laul. 2014. //[kalme II: Matuste ja leidude kataloog]// [Siksälä tumulus II: Burials and Findings Catalogue] (Tartu: Tartu Ülikool) [PDF]

Place Names and Personal Names

• //[of Estonians from the Schultbok of Helmich Ficke: 1515-1556]// by ffride wlffsdotter
• //[century masculine names and locative bynames from Hiiu County, Estonia]// by ffride wlffsdotter
• //[century placenames, and some personal names, from mainland Estonia]// by ffride wlffsdotter
• [Business: A brief look at some masculine, aquatic-themed names from 14th to 17th century Estonia] by Muste Pehe Peep
• [Possible Widows from Kullamaa, and the designator// nayne] by ffride wlffsdotter
• [Crawlies and Squirming Serpents: 14-17th century Estonian bynames relating to insects and snakes], by Muste Pehe Peep
• [Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources] includes names recorded in Estonia, but (as yet) you cannot search for names by place.

Medicine and Health

• Rivo Bernotas 2008. "[of Three Medieval Latrines of Tartu]" //Estonian Journal of Archaeology// **12**(1);16-29. [PDF]
• Rasmus Pruus 2010. “[jäätmekastid Tartus Munga tn 12 hoovis]”[Medieval lavatory cesspits in the courtyard of 12 Munga Street, Tartu] (Department of Archaeology, University of Tartu) [PDF]

Siksälä Cemetery Finds

• Mauri Kiudsoo. 2007. "[from Siksälä and the hoards of the neighbourhood.]" //In:// Heiki Valk; Silvia Laul (Eds.). //Siksälä. A community at the frontiers. Iron age and medieval// (pp. 201 - 212). (Tallinn-Tartu: Tartu University Press)
• Leiu Heapost, 2007. "[cemetery of Siksälä: osteological and paleodemographical analysis]." //In:// Laul, S. Valk, H. //Siksälä: A Community at the Frontiers. Iron Age and Medieval.// (pp. 213 - 236). (Tallinn-Tartu: University of Tartu)
• Heiki Valk, and Silvia Laul. 2014. //[kalme I: Muistis ja ajalugu]// [Siksälä tumulus I: Artefacts and History] (Tartu: Tartu Ülikool) [PDF]
• Heiki Valk, Jaana Ratas and Silvia Laul. 2014. //[kalme II: Matuste ja leidude kataloog]// [Siksälä tumulus II: Burials and Findings Catalogue] (Tartu: Tartu Ülikool) [PDF]

Finland

General

• The joint search portal of Finnish museums, //[Museums Online]//.
• Anna Wickholm and Sami Raninen 2006. "[Broken People: Deconstruction of Personhood in Iron Age Finland]" //Estonian Journal of Archaeology// **10**(2); 150-166 [PDF]

Textiles and Clothing

• Piia Lempiäinen 2014. ["Ena silkes tröya" – clothing bequests in Finnish medieval wills] Focus on Archaeological Textiles. Multidisciplinary Approaches. 3;26-39. [PDF]
• Krista Vajanto. 2014. "[shipwreck textiles from the 13th–18th centuries AD]" Focus on Archaeological Textiles. Multidisciplinary Approaches. 3; 116–131. [PDF]
• Krista Vajanto. 2012. "[in Prehistoric Burials – Reinterpreting Finnish 11th–14th-century AD Textile Fragments]"In: Janne Ikäheimo, Anna-Kaisa Salmi & Tiina Äikäs (eds.). Sounds Like Theory. XII Nordic Theoretical Archaeology Group Meeting in Oulu 25.–28.4.2012. Monographs of the Archaeological Society of Finland 2; 21-33 [PDF]
• Jüri Peets, 1987. "[im Bestattungsbrauchtum der Esten und anderen Ostseefinnen]" [Mittens of the dead in the funeral customs of the Estonians, and other Baltic Finns] //Fennoscandia Archeologica// **4**; 105-116. [PDF]
• Leena Tomanterä. 1987. "[Nadelhandschuhe aus der jüngeren Eisenzeit in Finnland]" [Appendix: Needle-mittens from the younger Iron Age in Finland] //Fennoscandia Archeologica// **4**; 117-120. [PDF]

Medicine and Health

• Anna-Kaisa Salmi & Rosa Vilkama. 2012. "[in the Past: Dental Pathology and Pain in the Parish of Ii (Northern Finland) in the 15th and 16th centuries.]"In: Janne Ikäheimo, Anna-Kaisa Salmi & Tiina Äikäs (eds.). Sounds Like Theory. XII Nordic Theoretical Archaeology Group Meeting in Oulu 25.–28.4.2012. //Monographs of the Archaeological Society of Finland// **2**; 59–71. [PDF]
• Petri Juuti and Tapio Katko (eds.), 2005. //[a Few to All - Long Term Development of Water and Sanitation Services in Finland]// (Tampere: Tampere University Press, Finland, 2005).
• Petri Juuti and Katri Wallenius. 2005. //[ja käymälät: Brief History of Wells and Toilet]//s (Tampere: Tampere University Press, Finland).
• [earth closets, and house plumbing], part of the Sewer History website, includes photographs of medieval castle privvies from Finland.

Latvia

//General//

• [Digitālā Bibliotēka / National Library of Latvia's Digital Library], scans of books, maps, pictures and journals relating to Latvia.
• [Digitalis], scans of books and journals relating to the city of Riga. Site often seems to be very slow to load though, so be patient.
• Volumes 1 to 21 of the book series [un etnogrāfija (Archaeology and Ethnography]). The journals have OCRed text, so if you know what you want to search for in Latvian (or the English and German language summaries) you can use the search box to find it.
• "[Duke Gotthard to Duke James: The 450th anniversary of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia]" virtual exhibition by the Latvian State Historical Archives.
• Andrejs Vasks. 2015. "[bronzas un senākajā dzelzs laikmetā Latvijas teritorijā]" [Amber in the Bronze and Pre-Roman Iron Age in the Territory of Latvia]

> //Latvijas Vēstures Institūta Žurnāls//. **94**; 28-47. [PDF]

//Latvian Language//

• [valodas vēsturiskā vārdnīca (16.–17. gadsimts)] [Historical Dictionary of Latvian (16th-17th Centuries)]
• [Latviešu valodas seno tekstu korpuss] [The Corpus of Early Written Latvian Texts]

//Riga//

• [Tour of Old Riga].
• [Mollin's panorama of Riga, 1612]. At the Virtual Latvia Project.
• [of the History of Riga and Navigation], English-language version of their website.

//Place Names and Personal Names//

• //[Latvian Given Names]// by Aryanhwy merch Catmael
• //[Names from Riga, Latvia, 1286-1352]// by Aryanhwy merch Catmael

//Jewellery//

• Baiba Vaska. 2012. //[metāla rotaslietas Latvijas teritorijā no romiešu dzelzs laikmeta līdz renesansei: promocijas darba kopsavilkums].// [Ornamented metal jewellery in the territory of Latvia, from the Roman Iron Age to the Renaissance] (Rīga: Latvijas Mākslas akadēmija) [PDF]

> Summary only.

• Baiba Vaska. 2013. "[on Roman Iron Age jewellery in Latvia made in openwork technique]." //Archaelogia Lituana// **14**; 88-110. [PDF]
• The Academia.edu profile of [Spirģis] includes numerous articles, and part of his book, about Livonian jewellery.

//Textiles and Clothing - General//

• Anna Zariņa, [apģērbs 10.-13. gs.] [Livonian clothing, 10-13th centuries] (1988)
• Anna Zariņa, [latgaļu apģērbs 7.-13. gs.] [Ancient Latvian clothing, 7-13th centuries] (1970)
• Anna Zariņa, [Latvijā 7.-17.gs.] [Clothing in Latvia, 7-17th centuries] (1999)
• Irita Žeiere, [liecības par apģērbu Latvijā 13.-18. gadsimtā] [Archaeological evidence of clothing in Latvia, 13-18th centuries] (2008)

Lithuania

General

• [skyriaus rinkiniai] [[Department Collections]], Lithuanian National Museum.
• [Vaškevičiūtė, 2004. Žiemgaliai V-XII amžiuje, [Semigallians, 5-12th centuries (Vilnius)]] [PDF]
• [of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania: Features of Historical Interiors and Their Environment]
• [and Artistic Legacy of the Samogitian Diocese],
• [Aircraft to Pistol.] Virtual exhibition of the Vytautas the Great War Museum.
• [of Kernavė Archaeological Site Museum's Exposition]
• [Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Old Cartographic Images]
• [in the National Museum of Lithuanian Grand Dukes]
• Kurilienė, A. 2009. //[rajono archeologijos sąvadas]//.[Kaišiadorys Archaeological Compendium]

> (Kaišiadorys: Kaišiadorių muziejus.)

• [Lituaniae: History of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania]
• [from the Joniškiai History and Culture Museum], via simkala.lt
• [from Pakruojis Regional Museum]'s exhibition on the Semigallians, via simkala.lt
• [from Pasvalys Museum], via simkala.lt
• [Documents of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania], at the Lithuanian National Library.
• The Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences [Digital Images Archive]
• //[rastai, the database of Old Lithuanian Writings]//, has documents from 1573 onwards including the first Lithuanian dictionary, //Dictionarium trium linguarum//.

Textiles and Clothing

• D. Steponavičienė. 2003. "[aprangos detalės ir papuošalai Vilniaus Žemutinės pilies tyrinėjimų duomenimis]“ [Metal details and ornaments of clothing by data of investigations of the Vilnius Lower Castle], //Lietuvos archeologija//, **24**;107-126 . [PDF]
• [cork platform shoe from the 16th century, Vilnius]. From the National Museum of Lithuanian Grand Dukes.
• [išlikusios, puošnios XVI a. odinės rankinės iš Karmėlavos kapinyno] [Well-preserved ornate leather purses from Karmelava Cemetery]. From the Vytautas the Great War Museum.
• Kristina Rickevičiūtė. 2003. "[senkapis (1998-2000 m. tyrinėjimai)]" [Karmelava Cemetery (Investigations from 1998 to 2000)] //Lietuvos Archeologija// **24**; 161-228. [PDF]

Place Names and Personal Names (see also Polish names)

• [Grand Dukes from the Galicia-Volhynia Treaty], by ffride wlffsdotter
• [Names from the Gediminid Line of Lithuania], by Walraven van Nijmegen

> (Note that this list appears to be a mixture of transliterated Cyrillic, modern Lithuanian, German, and Polish.)

• [and Early 17th C. Feminine Names from Lithuanian Records], by ffride wlffsdotter
• [17th century bynames of bridegrooms, from a wedding register from Lankeliškiai parish, Lithuania], by ffride wlffsdotter.