Database
Our database is free to use for all history and archaeology enthusiasts. If you use our database, please do not forget to cite correctly:
Mägi, Marika; Palm, Piia Sandra. Archaeological Artefacts of Saaremaa. Foundation Osiliana / Tallinn University. Accessed: date.
The Osiliana Archaeological Database presents artefacts from Saaremaa and the surrounding small islands.
The database contains mainly Iron Age and Medieval finds that can be classified.
Undated metal or other pieces were generally excluded from the database.
Ceramics are represented by isolated examples.
The database is a work in progress and is constantly being updated.
Crossbow bolt, iron. Crossbow bolt with a pyramid-shaped tip. The bolt has a wider part at the base, just before the socket. Mäesalu´s type A I Crossbow were taken into use in the Eastern Baltic as early as in the end of the 12th century, but heads of such type are in Estonia dated mainly to the first half of the 13th century (Mäesalu 1991). In Latvia they are datef from the end of the 12th century to the early 14th century (Mugurēvičs 2008, 202).
Literature:
Mäesalu, A. 1991. Otepää linnuse ammunooleotsad. Eds. L. Jaanits & V. Lang. (Muinasaja teadus, 1). Agu, Tallinn.
Mugurēvičs, Ē. 2008. Viduslaiku ciems un pils Salaspils novadā. Rīga, 112, 202.
Valjala hillfort
Penannular brooch, silver (?). Faceted terminals. The loop has grooved thicker middle parts transversely grooved. Similar brooches are often found in 13th-14th-century inhumation graves and only seldom in stone graves with cremations.
Penannular brooch, silver (?). Faceted terminals. The loop has grooved thicker middle parts transversely grooved. Similar brooches are often found in 13th-14th-century inhumation graves and only seldom in stone graves with cremations. In Karja, such brooch was registered in an inhumation dated to the second half of the 13th century (Mägi 2002, Pl. 125: 1–2), but in Siksälä, South-East Estonia, they also occur in 14th-century graves (Valk et al 2014).
Literature:
Mägi, M. 2002. At the Crossroads of Space and Time. Graves, Changing Society and Ideology on Saaremaa (Ösel), 9th–13th centuries AD. CCC papers: 6. Gotland University College, Centre for Baltic Studies; Institute of History, Department of Archaeology. Tallinn, 2002. Loe raamatut: siin. Vaata arheoloogiliste kaevamiste jooniseid: siin.
Laul, S., Valk, H. 2014. Siksälä kalme, II. Matuste ja leidude kataloog. Tartu ülikool: Tartu.
Cross-shaped pendant. According to Tuuli Kurisoo’s classification subtype B1.6.2 that was widespread mainly in Saaremaa and West-Estonia. Several such pendants have been found in cremations in stone graves (Kurisoo 2021, 63-64). At the exhibition of Saaremaa Museum.
Literature:
Kurisoo, T. 2021. Adornment, self-definition, religion: Pendants of the north-eastern Baltic Sea region, 9th-13th century. Kiel/Hamburg: Wachholtz Verlag.
Valjala hillfort
Fragment of iron javelin, end of the tang.
Fragment of iron javelin, end of the tang.
Literature:
Peets, J. & Valt, J. 2011. Ühest rauaaja lõpu relvast Saarmaal, mandri-Eestis ja naaberpiirkondades. – Saaremaa Muuseum, kaheaastaraamat 2009–2010 (3–29). Saaremaa Muuseum, Kuressaare.
Valjala hillfort
Buckle, bronze. Typical female belt buckle with round front part. Such buckles were in both ends of the belt and were fixed with, for instance, iron or bronze hook.
Buckle, bronze. Typical female belt buckle with round front part. Such buckles were in both ends of the belt and were fixed with, for instance, iron or bronze hook. This type of buckles occur often in 13th-century inhumation burials in Saaremaa and coastal Estonia (Mägi et al. 2019, 97; Lõhmus et al. 2018), but sometimes also in cremations at stone graves (Mägi 2002, 99, P. 139: 1).
Literature:
Mägi, M. 2002. At the Crossroads of Space and Time. Graves, Changing Society and Ideology on Saaremaa (Ösel), 9th–13th centuries AD. CCC papers: 6. Gotland University College, Centre for Baltic Studies; Institute of History, Department of Archaeology. Tallinn, 2002. Read the book: here. Look at the drawings of the archaeological excavations: here.
Mägi, M.; Malve, M. & Toome, T. (2019). Early Christian burials at Valjala churchyard, Saaremaa. – Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia 2018, 93−118, 109. Read the article: here.
Bone toggle.
Literature:
Luik, H. 2004. Luuesemed hilisrauaaja linnamägedel Lõhavere, Soontagana, Varbola ja Valjala leidude põhjal. – Toim. A. Haak, E. Russow & A. Tvauri. Linnusest ja linnast. Uurimusi Vilma Trummali auks. Muinasaja teadus, 14. Tallinn, Tartu, 157–188.
Luik, H. 2005. Luu- ja sarvesemed Eesti arheoloogilises leiumaterjalis viikingiajast keskajani. Tartu Ülikool, Filosoofiateaduskond, Ajaloo osakond. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus. Loe doktoritööd: siin.
Valjala hillfort
Iron rivet. At the exhibition of Saaremaa Museum.
Padlock key, iron. The key belongs to Kolchin´s group A that is dated to the 10th – 12th centuries based on keys found in Novgorod (Колчин 1959, 78–80). Similar keys in Latvia are dated to the same period (Mugurēvičs 2008, 89).
Literature:
Колчин, Б. А. 1959. Железообрабатывающее ремесло Новгорода Великого. Материалы и исследования по археологуу СССР 2: 65, 7–120.
Mugurēvičs, Ē. 2008. Viduslaiku ciems un pils Salaspils novadā, Rīga.
Valjala hillfort
Drawknife or leather tanning tool.
Drawknife or leather tanning tool (Vasks 2010). Dated according to the find contect.
Literature:
Vasks, A. 2010. Slīmests vai ādu apstrādes rīks. – Latvijas Vēstures Institūta Žurnāls, 2, 5–13.
