Aspects of change in the bronze age eastern baltic. The settlements of the Asva group in Estonia

Abstract

Bronze Age research in the eastern Baltic was actually initiated with the very first archaeological settlement excavations at Asva and Iru in Estonia and Klaņģukalns in Latvia in the 1930s. Before the discovery of these hill fort sites the material culture remains were so minimal that researchers even expressed doubt concerning the existence of a proper Bronze Age or any remarkable settlement activity in this region. The quantity and quality of finds from these hill forts resulted in completely new insights into a fairly unknown cultural past of the eastern Baltic region. Quite soon the Estonian prehistorian Harry Moora reached the conclusion that the cultural life in the Early Metal Ages was against all expectations a very active and developed one, and vividly benefitting from intercultural contacts. Interestingly, Moora also stated that the rich archaeological material from these newly discovered sites indicated that the scarceness of grave and hoard finds (containing metals) need not necessarily correspond to the social and cultural reality of the past and that local deposition processes and customs should be considered. Consequently, there was no reason to believe that eastern Baltic societies suffered metal-poor or low-level economic conditions and cultural developments.