A hundred years ago, graves and coffins were sifted under the church floor. Clothes of the deceased, parts of coffins and loose finds were collected. The objects moved to storage are now of interest to researchers.
The collection of grave finds kept in the Turku Cathedral warehouse is special in many ways.
The objects were mainly collected in the 1920s. In the archaeological excavations carried out in connection with the restoration, the floors of the church were opened, the vaults were examined and the condition of the coffins was checked.
In the 1970s, it was again time for a fundamental renovation. Then new excavations were made. In total, there are almost a thousand numbered discovery sets in stock.
The large boxes contain, among other things, women’s, men’s and children’s grave clothes and accessories, such as scarves, gloves, socks and slippers.
Nameplates, carrying handles and handles have been recovered from the coffins. In addition, there are plenty of unexamined small finds, such as bottle fragments, ceramics, tools and nails.
First, inventory, documentation and conservation
There is enough material in the church’s collection for a wide variety of research and perspectives, from the basic research of the material to ethical questions, such as bringing to light the funeral dresses of individual persons.
Initially, the goal is inventorying and documenting the material and making condition assessments.
Some of the objects need conservation. Conservation studies have already started as theses at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
– In further research, we can delve deeper into what these discoveries are and what they tell us about the history of Turku at the beginning of the new era and the people and communities who lived and lived here, Seppänen reflects.
The life cycle of the collection from the 17th century to the present day offers an interesting overview of how the found material deposited in the cathedral museum has become cultural-historical cultural heritage.
There is no similar collection anywhere else
– This is very unique throughout Europe and actually worldwide, because there are no similar archaeological textile collections anywhere else.
For example, some clothes have been preserved under the floors and churches of Sweden, Norway, Poland and the Czech Republic. The Turku collection is particularly extensive compared to them.
The finds have been well preserved partly because the deceased were buried in wall graves, not in soil. Otherwise, the condition of a party outfit from the early 17th century or a flower wreath brought along on a child’s last journey would be much worse. If there was anything left of it.
– It is significant that, for example, a lot of silk textiles, already valuable in their time, have been preserved here.
Lipkin has studied 19th-century burial clothes under the floors of churches in the Oulu and Tornio regions. Well-preserved ones are made of vegetable fibers, linen, cotton or nettle.
By combining different materials, it is possible to find out how the use of grave clothes has changed over time since the 17th century.
*You can discuss the topic on 30.1. until 11 p.m.*