Stone Age Rock Paintings at Lake Saimaa

At the foot of the site, there was evidence this time of a very ancient culture. Evidence of the habits and lives of the Stone Age inhabitants and users of the place can be found in images drawn on the rock walls, as well as in objects discovered on the rock and in the surrounding area. By interpreting these images and findings, we can understand how strongly life was influenced by nature and its conditions. Hunting, fishing, and living in harmony with the forces of nature shaped people's worldview

The Calm Old Man Looks East

A hot summer day is drawing to a close as I push the boat from the shore of Tiirola Bay into the water. I row south past the island of Karhisaari towards Yövesi and continue my journey westward. Forests stretch along the shores of Lake Saimaa, interspersed with glimpses of rocks, docks, and occasionally fields.

Life is evident at some of the summer cottages, with naked figures walking back from the water to the sauna, and a few boats still gliding over the water. During July, it is recommended to refrain from using fishing nets, but nevertheless, a net has been laid in the protected waters of the Saimaa ringed seals.

Although these villages have been inhabited and farmed for a long time, the Suurlahdentie road from Ristiina towards Hurissalo was not built until the 1940s. Until then, people traveled by water, and only cart paths connected the houses. For thousands of years, the village inhabitants traveled across Saimaa Lake by boat. It is no wonder that the people of the region have been called the "Water People".

After an hour of rowing, my boat glides into Astuvansalmi Bay, where steep cliffs rise from the water at the southern shore. I glance over my left shoulder at my destination: the rock paintings of Astuvansalmi.

Upon arrival, I begin to search for the shape of Astuvan Ukko in the cliffs and am surprised at how clearly the stone features of the Old Man's face stand out in the tall rock. Framed by birch and pine trees, the shapes of the eye, nose, and mouth are distinctly visible, and even the chin is outlined on the high cliff face. Calmly, the Old Man gazes eastward towards the lake.

Stone Age Rock Paintings

The rock paintings of Astuvansalmi are considered the most extensive in the Nordic countries. They are dated to the Stone Age, between 3000 and 2500 BCE. In total, there are 40–80 images (some have faded or are otherwise hard to discern), depicting mainly elk, humans, boats, handprints, and geometric figures. There are two rare female figures, one of whom holds a bow and possibly represents a mother goddess. Among the images, there are also three shamans.

At that time, the boat was an important means of transportation and also had symbolic significance. It carried souls westward to the afterlife, which the shamans accessed through trance. The elk was both a prey animal and a symbol of the center of the universe. Only one of the elk on the cliff looks eastward; all the others face west, the direction in which the dead traveled to the underworld. Some of the elk are depicted with a heart mark.

In front of the cliff, marine archaeologists have retrieved four amber jewelry pieces from the lake. The shapes of Astuvan Ukko, Akka, and Poika resemble the divine figures in the cliff, and a bear's head was also raised from the water. Since there is no amber in Finland, the inhabitants of the area must have had connections with other parts of the world.

The Life of Astuva's Rock Painters

Knowledge about the life of Astuva's rock painters has been gained through archaeological excavations in the surrounding area, but the details of their thoughts and beliefs remain largely unknown. Was their daily life focused on food gathering and maintaining the community, or did they have practices – perhaps shamanistic rituals – to care for the well-being of the body, soul, or spirit?

The Environment and the Early Inhabitants Speak to Us

After sunset, it is time to start the return journey, and I turn my rowboat eastward. On this very day, a record number of hot days was reached, and the water and air truly felt like milk and honey.

The motorboats are now tied to the docks, the birds have fallen silent, and the violet light of the bright summer night reflects on the still water. In this atmosphere, time seems to stand so still that even the flow of thoughts calms, focusing on the early inhabitants of the area.

Did someone once row here and experience a similar state of mind? The mind tries to grasp how our ancient ancestors lived, what they believed in, and what challenges or opportunities nature and the environment presented to them.

In a small boat on the vast Lake Saimaa, it feels as though the water, the surrounding forests, and nature as a whole are not just sources of food or arbiters of fate but also providers of spiritual nourishment. Their presence and power calm the traveler's mind and anchor them in the universe.

The environment and the early inhabitants speak to us in their own way, but do we still have the ability to hear these messages, or has it been lost in the name of knowledge or faith?

The Visual Heritage of the Water People

We can be grateful that the ancient Water People have left us their visual heritage drawn into the rock and cast into the lake. Since there are no explanatory writings, we have to ponder their content and purpose ourselves and adapt them to our current way of thinking. Although few artifacts have survived for research, we can be content that a life in harmony with nature was once lived. We have not been left with junk to clean up, hazardous waste, or a warming atmosphere.

The rock paintings were created over a long period and repeatedly added to and painted over. From this, we can conclude that the images may have been intended as messages for the future. Even if we cannot know for certain what the paintings meant, we can learn from them and try to understand time from the past into the future.