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.
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.
Valjala hillfort
Iron crossbow head. Such heads have been found in several medieval castles and in 2012 also from Haapsalu.
Iron crossbow head. Such heads have been found in several medieval castles and in 2012 also from Haapsalu (Russow & Allmäe 2013). Mäesalu has dated such crossbow-heads in Estonia to the first half of the 13th century due to some finds in hill-forts, what he associates with sieges known from written sources (Mäesalu 1991, 174-175). Such crossbow-heads in Latvia have been dated to the second half of the 13th century and the first half of the 14th century (Mugurēvičs 2008, 192, 202, Griciuvienė 2005, 202), in Russia to the 13th-15th century (Medvedev 1966, 116, Pl 31: 28).
Literature:
Медведев А.Ф. 1966. Ручное метательное оружие (Лук и стрелы, самострел). VIII–XIV вв. М.: Наука6.
Mäesalu, A. 1991. Otepää linnuse ammunooleotsad. Eds. L. Jaanits & V. Lang. (Muinasaja teadus, 1). Agu, Tallinn.
Griciuvienė, E. (prepared by) 2005. Žiemgaliai. Baltų archeologijos paroda. Katalogas. The Semigallians. Baltic Archaeological Exhibition. Catalogue. Vilnius – Riga, Lietuvos nacionalis muziejus; Latvijas Vēstures muzejs.
Mugurēvičs, Ē. 2008. Viduslaiku ciems un pils Salaspils novadā. Rīga, 112, 202.
Russow, E. & Allmäe, R. 2013. From a suburban pasture to the urban cemetery – recent fieldwork in north-western corner of medieval Haapsalu. – Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia 2012, 217-232.
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.
Trapezoid comb. Similar ones have been in Estonia found in Otepää and Tartu, in Latvia in Riga (Luik 1998, 49-55; Tilko 2000). Seem to date mainly to the 13th century, perhaps also to the 12th century.
Literature:
Luik, H. 1998. Muinas- ja keskaegsed luukammid Eestis. Muinasaja teadus, 6. Tallinn.
Tilko, S. 2000. Rīgas 12.- 14. gadsimta viengabala kaula ķemmes. – Senā Rīga 2, 101-112.
