Seems like there’s been a recent topic something like this one, but I was just too lazy to check. :^) Sneak preview ping.
That might have been a post by me.
Maybe 6 months ago?
The original theory was that Finland was a homogeneous group of hunter gatherers who copied or invented their own agriculture.
In fact, the “farmers” migrated north from the Black Sea region, and the hunter gatherers were a mixed group who migrated in from central Asia and different parts of Europe.
It's interesting that east and west Finland have different DNA groups.
On the map, Finland only looks about 400 miles at its widest point, and about 200 miles at its most narrow point.
The ancient economy of Finland is actually quite complex.
The coastal and lake regions show extensive fishing, and the earliest farming appears to be exclusively grains, which would have been for animal consumption, not for humans.
Other unique, but more modern facts - in 1950, about 95% of the population identified as Lutheran.
And, the average height of Finlanders is often claimed to be the tallest in the world. Odd, since it is also one of the coldest countries in the world.
Posted 12 years ago: