Knutsson et al./Technology of Early Settlement, 2. Postglacial Pioneer Colonisation of Eastern Fennoscandia

The post-glacial environmental development and initial human colonization of eastern Fennoscandia provides exceptional possibilities to study how and why technological adaptations developed in a low population density pioneering situation as a response to radical changes in the environment. This entails research on the dynamic relationships between the developing environment, technology, demography, and contact networks. The present paper discusses the data presently available from the area of present-day Finland for studies concentrating on these questions and reviews recent research in this field with a focus on work conducted using material deriving from the southern and eastern parts of the country.